Cyril-Alex Gockel (born 16 July 1984), known by his stage name C-Real, is a

Ghanaian Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in Ghana–Ivory Coast border, the west, Burkina ...

rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, writer and poet. In 2009, he won the Ghanaian edition of the Channel O Sprite Emcee Africa talent show and finished second at the show's

finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...

. He is regarded as one of the leading hip-hop artists in Ghana. He was featured on "Next Up", a song from Coptic's mixtape ''The Rising Stars of Gh Vol 1'' (2012).

Biography and music career

C-Real was born in Hohoe, a town in the

Volta region Volta Region (or Volta) is one of Ghana's sixteen administrative regions, with Ho designated as its capital. It is located west of Republic of Togo and to the east of Lake Volta. Divided into 25 administrative districts, the region is multi-et ...

of Ghana. Growing up, he listened to artists such as

Ini Kamoze Ini Kamoze ( , born Cecil Campbell; 9 October 1957) is a Jamaican reggae artist who began his career in the early 1980s and rose to prominence in 1994 with the signature song "Here Comes the Hotstepper". The single topped the US ''Billboard'' ...

Das Efx Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Dray (also known as Krazy Drayz, born Andre Weston, September 9, 1970) and Skoob (also known as Books and Boogie Bang, born William "Willie" Hines, November 27, 1970). They named the ...

and

KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from New York City. He rose to prominence as part of ...

. He and one of his friends formed a rap group called NT, an acronym for Nipa Tumtum. C-Real graduated from

St. Peter's Boys Senior Secondary School St. Peter's Senior High School, or PERSCO, is a Roman Catholic boys' senior high school in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The school was established in 1957 by the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD). The school is located in the town of Nkwa ...

, and is also an alumnus of the

University of Ghana The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian national public universities. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the Br ...

. He started writing poetry, rap verses and basic literature in 2009. C-Real has cited

The Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

Elzhi Jason Powers (born May 12, 1978), better known by his stage name Elzhi (stylized as eLZhi), is an American Rapping, rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He is a former member of Slum Village and now records as a solo artist. In his youth, he made nume ...

Black Thought Tariq Luqmaan Trotter (born October 3, 1973), better known as Black Thought, is an American rapper, actor and the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group the Roots, which he co-founded with drummer Questlove (Ahmir Thompson). Regarded ...

Mos Def Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

Canibus Germaine Williams (born December 9, 1974), better known by his stage name Canibus, is an American rapper and actor. He initially gained fame in the 1990s for his ability to freestyle, and eventually released his debut album Can-I-Bus in 1998. ...

Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He is also half of t ...

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

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and

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...

as his key rap influences.

Channel O Sprite Emcee Africa (Ghana)

In an interview with Richmond Adu-Poku, C-Real said he decided to participate in the Ghanaian edition of the Channel O Sprite Emcee Africa talent show after hearing about it. He advanced to the top 10 round after the first round of auditions and subsequently battled Padlock, Chymny and Rocky for the crown. After emerging as the winner of the competition, he conducted radio interviews and co-hosted the Brown Berry Show on Choice 102.3 FM.

2009–15: Mixtapes and debut studio album

C-Real told Adu-Poku he was working on a mixtape with his cousin Joseph Deo-Silas and some of his close-knit friends. On November 3, 2009, he released ''Multiples of C'', a 7-track mixtape that features guest appearances from UNO and A.ma. C-Real described the mixtape as an "exhibition mixtape" designed to showcase his versatility. In April 2011, he teamed up with E.L to release ''Project Hip Hop'', a 9-track collaborative mixtape that features guest artists such as Sherifa and Gemini. The mixtape was produced by DJ Juls, E.L and Aphroteq. C-Real started working on his debut studio album ''Em C.E.O.'' at Mix Down Studios. As a prelude to the album, he released "It's a Rap" and "Kneel, Pray, Rise, Conquer". The latter track is a Gospel-inspired track. Released on December 1, 2012, ''Em C.E.O'' features guest appearances from

Efya Jane Awindor (born April 10, 1987), better known by her stage name Efya, is a Ghanaian singer, songwriter, and actress from Kumasi. She is the daughter of Nana Adwoa Awindor, a filmmaker and celebrity host of the late television show ''Greetings ...

, Chase, E.L, J-Town, Gemini, M.anifest, Lousika, Zeus, Bebelino and Yom da Poet. It was supported by five singles: "I Be The Swag", "Em.Ceo", "Mission Possible", "Opeimu", and "Do the Azonto". "I Be The Swag" was released as the album's lead single in 2011. The accompanying music video for "I Be The Swag" was directed by Nana Asihene of NKACC. The video was nominated for Best Hip Hop Video at the 2011 4Syte Music Video Awards. The music video for "Em.Ceo" was released on August 17, 2012; it was directed by SABA Arts and uploaded to YouTube. The video was also nominated for Best Hip Hop Video at the 2012 4Syte Music Video Awards. The Nana Kofi Asihene-directed music video for "Opeimu" was released on July 19, 2013. It was nominated for Best Collaboration of the Year, Best Hip Hop Video, and Best Photography Video at the 2013 4Syte Music Video Awards. In January 2014, C-Real released his third mixtape ''The Reigning Season''; it comprises 10 songs and was recorded in Pidgin, English, Twi, Ewe, and Ga. The mixtape features guest appearances from Stargo Da Don and Johnny Boy. In "One Mic", C-Real pays tribute to American rapper

. On February 19, 2015, C-Real released ''Project Hip Hop 2'', his fourth overall mixtape and second collaborative project with E.L. ''Project Hip Hop 2'' comprises 10 songs and features guest appearances from Gemini, Stargo,

Ko-Jo Cue Linford Kennedy Amankwaa (born 27 May 1989), better known by his stage name Ko-Jo Cue, is a Ghanaian Hip-Hop/ Afro-Pop artiste from Kumasi, Ashanti Region. He is currently signed to BBnZ Live and is affiliated to The Cue, a talent development ...

, Lil Shaker and Lady J. It was produced by Nel Magnum, DJ Juls and E.L.

Business life

C-Real started out as a junior copywriter at Origin8, a local advertising agency in partnership with

Saatchi & Saatchi Saatchi & Saatchi is a British multinational communications and advertising agency network with 114 offices in 76 countries and over 6,500 staff. It was founded in 1970 and is currently headquartered in London. The parent company of the agency gr ...

. He is currently the CEO of MixDown Studios and Pulse Communications. C-Real is also the head of marketing at OG Farms and an avid public speaker.

Personal life

In 2014, C-Real presented a

Hyundai Santa Fe The Hyundai Santa Fe ( ko, 현대 싼타페) is a sport utility vehicle (SUV) produced by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai since 2000. It is named after the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and was introduced for the 2001 model year as Hyundai ...

to his mother for Valentine's Day.

Awards

4Stye Music Video Awards

, - , rowspan="3", 2013 , rowspan="3", "Opeimu" (with M.anifest) , Best Collaboration of the Year , , - , Best Hip Hop Video , , - , Best Photography Video , , - , style="text-align:center;", 2012 , , Em.CEO (with J-Town) , Best Hip Hop Video , , - , style="text-align:center;", 2011 , , I Be Swag , Best Hip Hop Video ,

Discography

;Studio albums *''EM.CEO'' (2012) *''Business Suits & Dress Shoes'' (2016) ;Mixtapes *''Multiples of C'' (2009) *''Project Hip Hop'' (with E.L) (2011) *''The Reigning Season'' (2014) *''Project Hip Hop 2'' (with E.L) (2015) ;Singles (partial) * "Wey Tin Dey Happen" (featuring E.L) * "Em CEO" (featuring J-Town) * "Mission Possible" (featuring Yom Da Poet) * "Hewale" (featuring E.L) * "Opeimu" (featuring M.anifest) * "Shine" * "Survival" (featuring Worlasi)

References

External links

*
C-Real
at

SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:C-Real Living people 1984 births Ghanaian hip hop musicians University of Ghana alumni