King Paluta: Struggles and rise of a lyrical king

Story: Joyce Kpeglo

Acclaimed Ghanaian singer King Paluta is the living embodiment of the quote by William Barclay: “Endurance is not just about the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.” His not-so-rosy journey from an underground artist to a phenomenal musician, whose alluring tunes have captivated the hearts of Ghanaian music fans serves as proof of this. We explore King Paluta’s rap beginnings, studio rat’s escapades and the rap battle king’s ascent to fame.

Background

Born Thomas Adjei Wireko, King Paluta was raised by his single mother in the Ashanti region’s Atonsu Bokuro, a suburb of Kumasi.

He indicated in an interview on the Delay Show that he was born out of wedlock and has only met his father at the age of 19 or 20-years when he came to visit him and his mother in Kumasi. His Dad died in 2022.

He revealed in an interview on TV3 that he had been passionate about music since a very young age and started out around 10 or 11-years old. He had to toughen up and learn in order to survive. He stressed that ‘when you are alone, you learn’.

King Paluta studied business at Garden City College. He didn’t further his education after high school but rather pursued his passion for music.

From ‘TT’ to King Paluta (The Origin of King Paluta)

The origin of the stage name is said to be from a man he looked up to, whom he referred to as an uncle. This uncle from the Northen region, who was popularly known as King Paluta, suggested to him that he should use ‘King Paluta’ as his stage name. Prior to that, his nickname as a rapper was ‘TT’, an abbreviation of his birth name, Thomas, and his appellation as a third born after twins, ‘Tawia’

The ‘Studio Rat’

King Paluta learned how to make music as a studio rat. He slept in numerous studios, where he honed his music producing skills by acquiring and learning software from engineers at the studios as well as assisting with recordings. He explains what drew him into music production; “At that time I did not have studio fees, so what I had to do was get the software and learn about it”. As a young artist he did not allow financial constraints stifle his ambitions and passion for music.

Ascent to throne of fame

Thomas recorded his debut demo at some point around 2004. Due to financial limitations, he was unable to record any more music until 2008, when he collaborated alongside some friends to create his debut mixtape.

The lyrical king used his school tuition fees to finance his participation in street rap battles from 2007 to 2011. He gained a lot of notoriety as a rapper from these battles.

He signed with an unidentified label in 2012. Even after three years, the label had not fulfilled all of its many promises to the young Thomas, which included massive brand promotions and smashing singles.

In 2015, he broke away from the label, started his own YouTube channel, and dropped his debut single, “Xmas Fiesta.”

During his participation on Solid FM’s Freestyle Saturday show, he met Kwame Poku, aka “Scientific,” the host of the show, who praised his talent who praised his talent and told him “you are too talented to hide your lamp under the bed. You need to come out”.

King Paluta finally achieved his success as a musician with the hit single ‘Yahitte’ when he signed with the NKZ Music Group. Collaborations followed on Yahitte single featuring popular artists such as Kuami Eugene, and another remix featuring Strongman, Amerado, Qwame Stika, and Andy Dosty, which solidified his position in the industry.

Other hits include Makoma, which has over a million views on YouTube and Aseda, which has 1.7 million views on YouTube. He has created many TikTok trends with his music, and songs like ‘More Money’, featuring Sista Afia, and the song ‘Sika Aba Fie’ have already gained a lot of streams on music platforms such as Audiomack, Boomplay, and Apple Music.

Overall, King Paluta is a tough individual who lasted through his tough times. He pursued his passion for music with skill and perseverance. With only his mother to rely on, he didn’t give up when he was struggling financially or when he got disappointed by a label he signed with.

It’s also important to recognise the risks he took along the way, including not pursuing tertiary education and exploring his singing career.

King Paluta’s reign as a phenomenal rapper and singer has only begun. His remarkable acumen and resilience are strengths that can help him to soar higher in the Ghanaian music industry over a long period.