Bishop Benedict Marfo, better known by his stage name Pope Nst, is a Ghanaian hip-hop singer and composer who hails from Nsuta, a tiny town in the Ashanti region of the country. Because Benedict is a Pope, and Nst is an acronym for Nsuta, his stage name arouses interest. He attended St Peter’s Junior Secondary School for his primary education and Kumasi Academy for his secondary education, both of which were located in the Ashanti area of Ghana. The University of Ghana Medical School, Korle-Bu campus, is where he is now studying for his medical degree.
He found his musical ability when still in junior high school, according to Pope Nst. He does a performance of his own songs in front of his peers. He was also well-known for rapping over the likes of Reggie Rockstone and Okyeame Kwame, among others. Sarkodie and Stonebowy served as inspiration for him to pursue a career in music. It should also be noted that he stutters, however, this is not noticeable while listening to his “flow.” In 2013, he was the winner of the Solid FM and subsequently K FM freestyle Saturday competitions. In addition, he writes songs in both English and Twi, the indigenous language of Ghana. He has one studio album, two EPs, about five singles, and more than seventy freestyle songs to his credit. Ghanaians adore him for the messages he conveys via his songs.
“I decided to pursue medicine at the University so that in the future I can help people, especially children with such a speech disorder. Medical school admission is very competitive, but after three years of intensive studies, written exams, and interviews, I was admitted into the first medical school in Ghana and one of the best in Africa, the University of Ghana Medical School. All along I was still recording mixtapes and releasing singles. I am currently in my fifth year of the six-year medical school training” – Pope Nst
He is a fictitious rapper who raps about the realities of life in order to enlighten his audience. He has two studio albums and eleven singles to his credit. When he joined high school in 2010, he grew fascinated with hip-hop/rap music and culture. Pope Nst has previously released one Mixtape Album and two Extended Plays, which are also available on iTunes (EPs). He collaborates with Ipappi, who is widely regarded as one of Ghana’s top music producers. In the opinion of Pope Nst, the Ghanaian hip-hop/rap scene is the most developed on the African continent.
“I get inspiration from almost everything around me. I have decided to write at least a verse every week, so anything I see in my environment is a rap to me. It takes me at least a day to write a 16- bar verse, but it can take me at least a month to write a full song.” – He added
The album title of his most recent release, “C.I.T.I.Z.E.N.,” relates to his great devotion to Ghana’s history and culture, which is reflected in the album’s title. According to the 26-year-old “The album cover includes a picture of my elementary school class teacher and his students. He is the second from the teacher’s left. The record has a special meaning for him. During the recording of the album “CITIZEN,” Pope Nst made no mention of medical school. A new album chronicling his six-year experience through medical school, which began in 2017, is now being written by him.
“Music has been a part of me long before I even decided to study medicine. I study every day, and I write lyrics every day too. I am going to be a neurosurgeon. I believe music is my primary purpose on earth, so I will never quit rapping.” – Pope Nst
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2GB6RHhT9EKxkks5PYYyxO
Audiomack: https://audiomack.com/pope-nst/album/citizen
Apple Music: https://geo.music.apple.com/album/citizen-ep/1604236297?app=music
Boomplay: https://www.boomplay.com/share/album/38521478?
Youtube: https://youtu.be/Os6ZAn7Mh18