Toronto-born quadruple-threat – rapper, singer-songwriter, producer, and professional volleyball player – Kofi released his third studio album, Pettyboy on Red Bull Records via The Orchard on November 15, 2024.
SWOMP caught up with Kofi for an interview, just a few days before the album dropped. Listen, below:
Comprised of 11 tracks, Pettyboy is a concept project that encapsulates the full range of emotions that come with a toxic relationship. Told from the POV of Kofi’s alter ego, the songs touch on themes of desire, commitment, and self-worth as he bares it all and holds nothing back. The standout track, “Say I Won’t” is an R&B slow jam that sees Kofi challenging his partner to say he won’t leave her for “a couple girls waiting on me right now.”
On the album, Kofi shares, “Pettyboy is my get back album. All the things I should’ve done in my last relationship but didn’t. All the times I held my tongue, this is what I should’ve said.”
While it’s petty at its core, the album is also an ode to his hometown Toronto. Cold, toxic, and beautiful, he blends defining sounds from the city into a multi-genre love letter. Working with writers and producers plucked straight from the scene, including SLMN (YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Mariah Carey) and King Fisher (K Camp, Central Cee, NLE Choppa), Kofi gives Toronto the spotlight it deserves.
Pettyboy is an exploration of Kofi’s unapologetic behavior in another reality. From the top, he leans into raw rap verses on “PNC” like, “Don’t ask me to be romantic, girl that’s hopeless.” A string of singles that outline a shaky relationship follow, including the Afrobeats favourite, “Impatient,” and the addictive hip-hop joint, “We Don’t Make Sense.” There’s no wondering what “I Got Options Too,” is about when he croons “It’s not me it’s you,” leading into the ultimate toxic closer, “Wait On Me,” with empty promises in his lyrics, “Girl I promise I’ll change.”
An accomplished musician and professional volleyball player, Kofi is a multi-hyphenate in every sense of the word. His skills on the court earned him a spot on the Canadian Team’s Olympic roster last year, and currently he’s playing for the top flight of professional French Volleyball teams in Séte, France. Kofi has worked tirelessly throughout his athletic career to remain an irreplaceable player, and as a 6’8” blocker with one of the most impressive verticals in the league, he’s certainly earned the title. With the season in full swing and his third album out now, there’s nothing Kofi can’t do.
Pettyboy Tracklist
1. Doing It Right
2. PNC
3. Impatient
4. I Know
5. We Don’t Make Sense
6. Pettyboy
7. Ain’t My Problem
8. Don’t Say Sorry
9. I Got Options Too
10. Say I Won’t
11. Wait On Me
Kofi’s musical sensibilities have been coded into the very fabric of his DNA since birth. At first it was the 50-hour cross country truck drives with his father, where he began to connect with music from across the globe. From Soul to Highlife, the vast soundscapes he was exposed to from such a young age would transform him into a polymath in years to come. When he started to make his way in the world, coming from a long line of classically trained pianists and musicians would help define a trajectory marked by real craftsmanship and appreciation for musicality.
The cultural melting pot of Scarborough and his own upbringing in a Ghanaian/Polish-Jewish household would allow Kofi to draw from an eclectic range of influences. His signature sound would be full of components as far reaching as Jersey Club, back to mainstays like Hip-Hop and R&B, with the beating heart of Afrobeats tying it all together.
Kofi of course became a multi-instrumentalist (piano, guitar and trombone) himself, now armed with encyclopedic levels of music theory knowledge. He quickly mastered the intricacies and complexities of sound engineering, which allowed him to further deepen his understanding of the fundamentals of good music. Being an engineer on top of a budding singer-songwriter and rapper meant his skillset was highly sought after. He cut his teeth by working with grassroots artists in and around Scarborough, Canada which eventually landed him features from the likes of Pressa and 2KBABY.
Balance is something that’s been integral to Kofi’s life, as his talents have presented him with the challenge of combining the career of a professional athlete with that of a signed recording artist. The two worlds first began to collide when Kofi’s exploits on the court at UCLA ensured that his name was at the top of the Bruins’ team sheet. At the same time, Red Bull Records came calling, as the music he was making in his free time began to pick up serious traction.
The dreams of many are everyday reality for Kofi, who despite taking a four year hiatus from volleyball to focus on music, returned to the sport only to snag a seat on the 18-man Canadian Olympic roster. Off the court, Kofi continues to conquer on the stage, opening for the likes of Ckay and Afro-Dancehall pioneer Stonebwoy. Following a stint in Finland where he brought home a championship as part of the nation’s premier pro volleyball league, he was recruited to play for a topflight pro team in Séte, France. Kofi’s double lives are finally in sync, and his new album Pettyboy is the testament to years of hard work and dedication.
The Pettyboy era compounds all the elements of Kofi’s artistry that have won him a global fan base, including the likes of fellow Canadian stalwart, Drake. It’s a body of work impossible to categorize in the simplistic terms of mere genre limitations, better understood as a journey through 11 distinct phases of a toxic relationship. Kofi likens it to catharsis, sharing all the things he never said but wish he had in previous relationships. Arriving after a string of varied singles like the Afrobeats-laden track, “Impatient” and the nostalgic slice of R&B, “We Don’t Make Sense,” Pettyboy sees him hold nothing back on new additions like slow jam, “Say I Won’t,” and rap joint, “PNC.” The limitless extent of his prowess as a producer, engineer and vocalist shines through a package that’s undeniably Toronto at its core – cold, toxic, yet somehow beautiful.
Pettyboy is without a doubt a concept album, and the lyricism brings cohesion to Kofi’s expansive universe. Touching on themes of desire, commitment, and self-worth has always been central to his songwriting, but in this project, he finally bares it all. With streams and view-counts well into the multi-millions, it’s clear that Kofi is reaching people, but the vulnerability in his stories means he’s relatable to them too. Despite the namesake, the Pettyboy chapter promises to be his most important yet.
Follow Kofi on Instagram, here.
Photo Credit: Wanderkid