Tema rapper Essumann is Apple Music’s newest Up Next artist in Ghana. The streaming service announced the independent hip-hop act as the latest name in its Up Next artist development programme in the country, in a press release carried by AmeyawDebrah.com on Thursday, 5 November.
Essumann shared the news with fans in a post on X, writing: “Grateful to be selected as Apple Music’s Up Next Ghana artist🇬🇭 Big love to everyone who’s been part of the journey”.
“I’m honestly grateful and honoured to be selected for Apple Music’s Up Next Ghana campaign. This moment means a lot because I’ve been building my journey from the ground up, staying true to my story and putting everything I have into the music,” Essumann told Apple Music. “For me, this is not just about being selected. It’s about opening the door to a new chapter.”
According to the release, Essumann hails from Tema, with roots in Anomabo, and was raised in Community 9. His sound blends Ghanaian hip-hop, trap and melodic rap with street storytelling about ambition, struggle and resilience.
2026 has been a big year for him. Apple Music points to “Big Bricks II”, featuring Medikal and Lalid, as a defining record that reached millions of streams across digital platforms. He has since released Ghetto Therapy P.T. II, an 11-track album that explores survival, faith, pain, ambition, relationships and personal growth, building on his earlier Ghetto Therapy project.
As part of the campaign, Essumann will be featured on Apple Music’s global Up Next playlist, which is hand-picked by the service’s editors. Past Up Next artists include Billie Eilish, Khalid, Burna Boy, Rema, Tems and Mr Eazi, a line-up that shows the kind of company he now joins.
For an artist building his career independently, the spotlight is a major boost as he sets his sights on audiences beyond Ghana.
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