“I used to love Michael Jackson,” Kwabena Boateng has said.

He spoke to Taller Dee on the No.1 Gospel Showbiz programme on No.1 105.3 FM.

The Ghanaian US-based Gospel act explained he was heavily influenced by R&B music growing up.

“I used to really like Ne-Yo also,” he said.

In the Gospel world, he revealed Joe Mettle “definitely” inspires him.

“I love Joe Mettle and all his songs so much,” Boateng stressed.

He added he has so much admiration for “Eugene Zuta and his ministry – he’s really inspired me”.

Travis Greene was the last name he dropped for Gospel acts who inspire him.

Secular music

He said when he was performing secular music, “I didn’t find the fulfilment I was looking for”.

Conversely, “since I dedicated myself to God, I have peace of mind, I have this joy which I cannot explain,” he added. “You’ll never see me wearing a frown, I’m always smiling, because God has blessed me.”

“When I say blessings, I don’t mean money and things like that but I’m just grateful for sleeping and rising up,” he clarified, adding it was only right he gave his healthy body to God in service.

Kwabena Boateng remembered while he studied at Presbyterian Boys Secondary School (PRESEC), Legon, his love for R&B grew greatly.

“I always loved R&B music growing up. I liked the melodies, the way it’s slow and all that. This made it easier for me to sing along,” he explained.

He remembered while in the University of Ghana (UG), Legon, he enjoyed some level of popularity because of his singing gift.

“For instance, anytime I performed R&B in Legon, people would cheer me on, and I enjoyed the attention with a swollen head. The girls would encourage me with cheers,” however, “after a while, I realised that wasn’t the happiness I was looking for,” he said.

He said he came to accept “all happiness was in God,” and has since observed “this was the best decision I ever made, to do God’s work with all my soul”.

Taller Dee wondered what Kwabena Boateng’s spiritual convictions were during this time.

“I was a Christian but not living like one,” he confessed. “After a while, I said: 'I don’t want to be an ordinary Christian, I want to understand Jesus Christ'. It was in that process that I committed myself to following his lifestyle.”

According to Boateng, he was raised a Pentecostal and recognised his parents and grandparent “sowed a seed in his life” in those days.

“When, in my view, this seed germinated, I decided to be a serious Christian and do Gospel music,” he narrated. “I, therefore, deleted all the secular songs off my computer and phone, and replaced them with Gospel music.”

Noting that music is “very powerful,” he said resorting to Gospel reduced him to tears multiple times.

Transformation

Kwabena Boateng testified not only has his rededication to God changed his life positively, it has also influenced people around him. He cited an unnamed woman who “was going through a lot,” and in need of someone to talk to. He said, the woman revealed to him she had stopped abusing substances by just observing “my transition” which had taken place since taking his Christian faith seriously, and “leaving behind secular music and chasing women”.

Songwriting

Kwabena Boateng revealed he first explored writing original songs because “I don’t know how to thoroughly sing someone else’s song. I always mix up the lyrics. This is what led to me creating my own songs”.

Baba is Boateng's latest offering.