There is great music all over this world. The open borders (of the internet at least) offer us a chance to experience so much more than we used to. We recently discovered multi-national African artist 4unky and his distinct sound.
We caught up with the talented artist for a chat about his experiences and new music video for ‘Slow Motion’. Enjoy the interview here:
First off, what is the story behind the name 4unky?
I wanted to coin a name that reflects my fun personality hence I named my self Funky. However, in order to be unique as there could be many Funkys out there I had to switch it up a bit by replacing the F in Funky with 4 hence the name “4unky” was born.
How would you describe your sound?
4unky tunes, it influences, inspires, motivates and most importantly entertains. It’s a fusion of everything music with afrobeat as the base of it all. That is why my album “Takumbeng Mixtape” which is now available on all major music stores has something for everyone no matter what their musical taste could be.
Which artists have had the biggest influence on #4unky?
I am influenced by a lot of musicians but my biggest influences musically are Nipsey Hussle, Nick Cannon and 2face. I also like Charlotte Dipanda and Teni.
How have you been able to meld multiple African country’s impact into your unique sound?
Traveling a lot of African cities and learning different cultures have had a great deal of influence on my sound. For example, one could reasonably expect me to sound like a Ghanaian or a Nigerian after spending over 12 years in both countries. However, I put in the work to make sure I give my fans 4unky tunes with a touch of different influences but unique and reflective of my person and my roots.
Tell us about your just released music video for “Slow Motion”?
If I was only constrained to one word it will be “epic”. “Slow motion” should be the best video from Cameroon in 2019 yet very simple and detailed. Yonka films did a great job directing Slow motion. Big shout out to the baddest Yonka films crew and a special shout out to my team at Takumbeng Inc, Xenon Entertainment and everyone that contributed in one way or the other to make this video a big success story.
What do you hope the listener will take away from a song by #4unky?
My songs hit listers differently as each song has a unique context, message and feeling. My hope is to entertain, educate, inspire and motivate my fans with every 4unky tune.
Share some advice for other artists gaining a variety of influences?
You need to find yourself, your space and create your own unique sound. It could be tricky to have a variety of influences like I did yet a rare opportunity to create something special and spiritual if used properly. In summary, the different influences are like inputs, process them and create an output that is unique to you.
What does the future hold for 4unky?
With Takumbeng Inc by my side, I can only see a very bright future, lots of fine records, awards and social impact. In a more short-term perspective, my fans can expect more videos in 2020 some from my already released album “Takumbeng mixtape” available on all major music stores and some new singles too. They can expect some collaborations as well because all 19 songs in my just released album had no featuring. I will be working with some artists from Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, and Canada.
