Ayat (rapper)
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Ayat Maqwam Salis (born 10 July 1990), better known by his stage name Kirani Ayat, is a
Ghanaian The Ghanaian people are a nation originating in the Gold Coast (region), Ghanaian Gold Coast. Ghanaians predominantly inhabit the Republic of Ghana and are the predominant cultural group and residents of Ghana, numbering 34 million people as of ...
musician,
rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...
, singer and producer. Kirani Ayat started his music professionally as Mr. Ayat in 2008 and later rebranded to "Billy Banger" in 2010 during that period, where he recorded and released several mixtapes, which made a little impact locally. In 2011, as "Billy Banger" he recorded and released "aint easy", a hip-hop/RnB song which had an honorable mention in the Hip-hop category at the 2011 International Songwriting Competition out of over 17,000 entries. Kirani Ayat's hit records include "Kudi", "I Don't Know You (IDKY)", "Play For Keeps (SOYAYA)" and "Dodo".


Early life and education

Kirani Ayat grew up in
Madina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...
, a suburb of
Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...
,
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
. He first attended Madina Islamic JHS, where he completed his Junior Secondary School level education. He then gained admission into West Africa Secondary School for his secondary level education, where he started pursuing a professional musical career with the moniker "Mr. Ayat", before rebranding to "Billy Banger". After high school, he pursued Information Technology (IT) courses at IPMC and got admission into University, but dropped out later to pursue a full-time music career.


Music career

In 2014, Kirani Ayat collaborated with Mal of Griotz Music and producer Mike Millz to release a joint EP titled "The TrapLife 2.0" EP. This was his last project under his "Billy Banger" moniker. This project received average reviews but gave him a lot of blog coverage and presence in the Ghana hip hop scene. In 2015, Kirani Ayat then called "Billy Banger" decided to change his stage name to his original birth name Ayat, which means Life in
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
. In a conversation with music reporters, Kirani Ayat confirmed the name change but emphasized that the rebrand was rather a transition into a new era for his growing music career than just a change of name. In 2016, Kirani Ayat disclosed that he sold 85% of his belongings to make the inaugural edition of his MADFEST – an acronym for Music of African Descent Festival happen. MADFEST had an extensive list of budding and established hip-hop acts in the country gracing the show, including Akan, Worlasi,
M.anifest Kwame Ametepee Tsikata (born 20 November 1982), known professionally as M.anifest, is a Ghanaian musician, rapper and record producer. He won Best Rapper and Hip-Hop song of the year at the 2017 Ghana Music Awards. He has worked with Damon Alba ...
,
AJ Nelson Adjei Nelson Otumfour (born 5 May 1985), better known by his stage name AJ Nelson is a Ghanaian recording artist and activist. He is most famous for the singles “Same Girl,” “Faith” and “Power to the People”. He was the first Ghanaian ...
, and
Medikal Samuel Adu Frimpong (born 5 April 1994), popularly known as Medikal, is a Ghanaian hip hop musician born to Portia Lamptey and James Frimpong in Sowutuom, a suburb of Accra. Early life and music career He comes from Sowutuom, a suburb in Acc ...
. In 2017, he released his widely anticipated debut EP, ZAMANI to critical acclaim. The Afro trap influenced EP had Kirani AYAT touching on the themes of hope, dreams, success, and love. And within a year, the 26-year-old has been featured in some of the biggest songs in the country. He worked with popular
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
rappers: Sarkodie on Dodo,
Medikal Samuel Adu Frimpong (born 5 April 1994), popularly known as Medikal, is a Ghanaian hip hop musician born to Portia Lamptey and James Frimpong in Sowutuom, a suburb of Accra. Early life and music career He comes from Sowutuom, a suburb in Acc ...
on 4get Everybody,
Edem Edem, occasionally referred to by the misnomer "Edem Ani" to distinguish it from Edem Nru and Edem Iheakpu Awka, is an ancient traditional state in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. A culturally rich, stable traditional poli ...
on the Egboame Remix and EL. on Bars. In 2019, Kirani Ayat released "Her Vibe Is Right" EP. The seven-track
extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
included collaborations with award-winning Ghanaian musicians
Efya Jane Fara Fauzzier Afia Boafowaa Yahaya Awindor (born April 10, 1987), better known as Efya, is a Ghanaian people, Ghanaian singer, songwriter, and actress from Kumasi. She is the daughter of Nana Adwoa Awindor, a filmmaker and celebrity host of ...
, Magnom, and
Joeboy Joseph Akinwale Akinfenwa-Donus (born 21 May 1997), known professionally as Joeboy, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter, he is signed to Warner Music Africa in partnership with his record label Young Legend. He was formerly signed by Mr Eazi und ...
. The EP generally received positive reviews from most music critics for its notable tracks "HONEY" which featured Ghanaian musician and producer, Magnom. In 2022, Kirani Ayat released his highly anticipated debut studio album titled "Aisha's Sun". The album featured Worlasi, Sarkodie & Morell. Production was handled by Sonnie KaySo Owusu, Altra N O V A, OKAIWAV, NiiQuaye Muses, AlmightyTrei & SELVSSE. The album served as a chronicle of Ayat's life, documenting his journey from adolescence to adulthood. The tracks on "Aisha's Sun" delved into various aspects of Kirani Ayat's life and experiences. For instance, the song "Aisha's Son" reflected on his upbringing, while his collaboration wit
Worlasi
on the song "Fada Na" addressed societal issues. "Duniya" and "Dan Kasa" explored themes of family and religion, while "Sarki" and "GUDA" touched on his aspirations and ambitions. The album generally received positive reviews from most music critics for its rich cultural influences, lyrical depth, and Kirani Ayat's versatile vocal performances.


Discography


Albums

* Aisha’s Sun 2022


Extended Plays

* TrapLife 2.0 with Mal – 2015 * Zamani EP – 2017 * Her Vibe Is Right – 2019


Singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

* Honey feat.
Camidoh Raphael Camidoh Kofi Attachie (born 21 January 1994) known by his stage name Camidoh is an Afropop, R&B and Afrobeats singer and songwriter from Aflao in the Volta Region of Ghana. Early life and education Camidoh was born in Aflao in the ...
x Magnom – 2018 * IDKY (with Kayso) – 2014 * My Girl (with Kayso) – 2015 * Let Then Know (with Kayso) – 2015 * Dodo ft Sarkodie – 2016 * Forget Everybody ft
Medikal Samuel Adu Frimpong (born 5 April 1994), popularly known as Medikal, is a Ghanaian hip hop musician born to Portia Lamptey and James Frimpong in Sowutuom, a suburb of Accra. Early life and music career He comes from Sowutuom, a suburb in Acc ...
– 2016 * Kudi ft
M.anifest Kwame Ametepee Tsikata (born 20 November 1982), known professionally as M.anifest, is a Ghanaian musician, rapper and record producer. He won Best Rapper and Hip-Hop song of the year at the 2017 Ghana Music Awards. He has worked with Damon Alba ...
– 2017 * Di Asa – 2018 * Guda – 2018


World tours and notable performances

Kirani Ayat started off the year 2017 with a tour to the United States. This was to promote his new song by then debut EP "ZAMANI". Ayat first landed in Los Angeles at The Airliner in Downtown LA. He then continued to East coast.


Awards and nominations

Honorable mention in the
Hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
category at the International Songwriting Competition out of over 17,000 entries. At the 2019 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, Kirani Ayat's video for his "Guda" single which was directed by David Nico-Sey got a nomination for Best Video of the Year. The video for "Guda" also received a nomination at 3Music Awards 2019: On 17 November 2019, Kirani Ayat won the Overall Best Video Award with his "Guda" hit track at 4SyteTV Music Video Awards 2019.


Controversy

On 27 September 2022, Kirani Ayat became embroiled in a controversy regarding the unauthorized use of his music video 'Guda' for promotional purposes by the Ghanaian government's tourism industry. He expressed disappointment that his video was used without his consent, despite his previous attempts to collaborate with the Ministry of Tourism for promoting tourism in the Northern region using his video. The issue sparked discussions about copyright infringement and proper permission for artistic works. In a video shared on President Akufo-Addo’s Twitter handle, excerpts from Kirani Ayat's 'Guda' music video were used as promotion for Ghana's tourism industry. This utilization of his work without his consent led Kirani Ayat to address the issue through a series of tweets that quickly went viral. He expressed his disappointment that the Ministry of Tourism did not respond to his previous attempts to collaborate on promoting tourism in the Northern region using his video. The director of the 'Guda' music video, David Nicol-Sey, also expressed frustration at the lack of due diligence by the Government of Ghana in obtaining proper permission for using the video. In response, the Ghana Tourism Authority issued a statement, shifting the blame to SAMSAL Company Limited, an advertising firm, for the copyright infringement. However, SAMSAL denied responsibility for the copyright blunder in their own statement. Support and encouragement for Kirani Ayat poured in from Ghanaians and celebrities alike, urging him to pursue legal action against the government for copyright infringement. Kirani Ayat expressed gratitude for the support he received in his fight for justice. Ghana has previously undertaken successful tourism initiatives, such as the "Year of Return" launched in 2019, aimed at promoting the country to visitors from around the world.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayat, Kirani 1990 births Living people Musicians from Accra Ghanaian record producers Ghanaian rappers