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Lyrical Joe may have built his reputation on razor-sharp punchlines, rapid-fire delivery and bars that can leave fellow rappers reaching for a dictionary, but there is a different genre quietly helping to shape his pen.
The Ghanaian rapper has revealed that Reggae music is one of his biggest creative influences, particularly when it comes to songwriting, storytelling and developing the depth behind his lyrics.
Known for his technical approach to hip-hop, the former VGMA Best Rapper of the Year explained that he draws significant inspiration from the way Reggae musicians tackle real-life issues, social commentary and emotional subjects through music.
More Than Just Bars
For Lyrical Joe, Reggae offers lessons that go beyond simply making music sound good.
He admires the genre’s ability to tell stories, communicate powerful messages and capture raw human emotions. These qualities, he explained, are things he also tries to bring into his own rap verses.
So while his delivery may come at lightning speed, there is reportedly plenty of thought behind those rapid-fire bars.
Finding the Groove
Reggae also gives the rapper room to experiment with rhythm and musicality.
By listening to Reggae, Lyrical Joe is able to explore different cadences, flows and rhythmic patterns, helping him create complex verses without losing the natural groove of a song.
In other words, the man is not just counting syllables. He is listening for the pocket too.
Keeping Hip-Hop Fresh
The influence also feeds into Lyrical Joe’s versatility as an artiste.
By drawing from Reggae’s rich musical tradition, the rapper can expand his creative palette while still maintaining the technical lyricism that has become his trademark.
And that may explain why his approach to rap often feels more layered than simply stacking punchlines on a beat.
For Lyrical Joe, inspiration does not have to come exclusively from hip-hop.
Sometimes, the secret to writing better rap is simply to listen to another genre, study its storytelling, catch its rhythm and bring those lessons back to the booth.
