About Paapa Wastik

For over fifteen years, Paapa Wastik has been touring, performing and producing alongside various reggae heavyweights including Lucky Dube, Alpha Blondy, Anthony B, Sizzla, Capleton, The Itals, Luciano, The Abyssinians, Ky-mani Marley, Lutan Fyah, Jah Mason, Everton Blender, Queen Ifrica, Warrior King and many others.

Hailing from Cape Coast, Ghana (West Africa) Paapa Wastik has had a rich history growing up with music all around him since he was a young boy. He experienced a plethora of forms ranging from the melodies of the fisherfolk united in call and  response melodies to meet the roaring waves as they formed working choruses to drag in the nets at dusk to the more cosmopolitan sounds of the bands of his time like Nana Ampedu, J.A. Adofo, Akwesi Ampofo Agyei, Amakye Dede, AB Cresntsil, Paapa Yankson, Pat Thomas etc. as well as the ‘funk’ and other international artists, mostly from the diaspora.

During his teen years, Paapa Wastik, ever the outgoing type started performing whenever and wherever a microphone connected to an amp or speaker presented itself. 

In the early 2000s, he decided to shift the direction of his music to strictly conscious, roots and reality music. He attributes this decision to a new awakening in his Rastafari Livity. A strict vegan (Italist) and a fiercely devoted family man, Paapa Wastik is the model Rastaman, taking his livity and re-packaging it in song for the stage and the recording studios.

In 2003, Paapa Wastik released his first album ‘Mama Africa’ which was produced by himself alongside Gabriel Fossati Bellania from the US. The same year, he was invited to perform at the annual ‘PANAFEST’, a Pan-African music, arts and culture festival.

In 2007, his music took on a new dimension when he released his second album. The album “Thanks and Praise” featured the likes of Lutan Fyah, Bongo Herman and Jah Marcus and had some of the tracks produced in Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica.

In 2008, his song ‘Makomaa Mu Hemaa’ which was also recorded Tuff Gong Studios was nominated ‘Reggae Song of the year’ at the Ghana Music Awards. He released his 3rd album ‘Unity for Africa’ in 2012.

He has been nominated for several awards including Reggae Song of the year and Reggae Artiste of the year at the 2017 BASS Awards.

His fourth and current studio album is called ‘I-Story’ which was released in 2018. He has released several singles since then such as “Afrakoma”, “Cry” ,”Beyond the Bus” and “Push” respectively. Paapa Wastik is currently working on a new EP which will be released this year.

Watch out for “Life Above Everything Tour 2026” which will kick off early this year.

NOTABLE APPEARANCES

Paapa Wastik has performed at

Northwest Reggae Festival in Eugene, Oregon USA,

Reggae on the River California USA,

Lafayette Reggae Festival in Louisiana, USA.

Victoria Ska Festival Canada.

Panafest Cape Coast Ghana.

West Indian American Day Celebration Brooklyn New York, USA.

Kuchoko Festival Accra, Ghana.

And many other festivals.