KUMERICA & KUMERICAN

1. What is KUMERICA?
2. Who is a Kumerican?
3. The Genesis of Kumerica
4. The New Development and the Future of Kumerica
5. KUMERICA DRILL MUSIC
6. KUMERICA TOWNSHIP & LIFESTYLE
7. MISSION AND VISION OF KUMERICA (KUMERICA MOVEMENT)
8. GOALS, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF KUMERICA (KUMERICA MOVEMENT)
9. MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT KUMERICA
10. THE SYMBOLIC MEANINGS OF THE FLAGS OF ASANTES AND KUMERICA

KUMERICA

Kumerica [noun] is an internet slang (sensational social media word) for the city of Greater Kumasi in Asanti Region of Ghana. The word Kumerica was coined from a blend (portmanteau) of Kumasi and America (Ku + merica) by the young people of Kumasi (Oseikrom or The Garden City of West Africa) who live their lifestyle full of luxuries, bling-blings and display of jewels, gold chains (or ostentatious jewellery), drive in expensive cars, royalty and riches like the Black Americans. Originally, the main purpose of these young Kumasi guys was to showcase their riches and luxurious lifestyle, to tell the world that they live in Kumasi but their lifestyles are like the black Americans; and this includes how they speak American English (especially American slangs, tonations and accent), how they dress, and wear luxury clothes, shoes and use cars.

So the term (Kumerica or Kumerican, whether the City [Kumasi] or a person in/born in Kumasi) is basically means living a bling lifestyle like the Black Americans (African-Americans). Popular among the founders of the Kumerica movement are Blaq Foreigner, Armani Sossa, Bra Benk (Bernard Benk), David Germain Portfolio MC (as the PRO), Zoro-King (as the President), Akatafuo group (Akata Boys), City Boys, Asakaa Group, Kwaku DMC, Kawabanga, Reggie, O’Kenneth, Jay Bahd, Prince of Kumasi, Ypee, Oseikrom Sikanii, Yaw Tog, Obey, GAK, Phaize, Phrimpong, and some groups of young guys from Tafo, Krofrom, Ashtown, Santasi etc.

Some principal members include Archipalago, Hayford No-more-Walls, Kaakyire Y3dehye3 (KYD), OKYEAME KWAME, Flowking Stone, Nana Sei (Strongman Burner), Papa Kumasi, kweku Flick, Bigscout Nana Prempeh, King Paluta, Amerado Burner, Sister Sandy, Reggie Rockstone, Zion Felix, Cabum, Lilwin, Naby, and all Kumericans in Kumerica. As to who first exactly or officially designed or created the Kumerica flag is still unknown. It popped up on the social media in the middle of 2020. Again, who initially or first called himself or coined and brought the term (name) [Kumerica] is still unknown. It is believed to have been coined by or brought by some groups of those young guys I mentioned above. Some Kumericans believe the very group of people who coined and brought the name Kumerica are Blaq Foreigner and Armani Sossa.

KUMERICAN

Kumerican [noun] is anyone born in the city of Greater Kumasi (Kumerica) and/or lives in Kumasi (Kumerica) and has a lifestyle full of luxuries, bling-bling and display of ostentatious jewellery, gold chains, nice cars, royalty and riches like the Black Americans. The word Kumerican was also coined from a blend of Kumasi and American (Ku + merican). This means if you’re born in Kumerica you are called Kumerican or if you live in Kumerica you are called Kumerican. As at the time of writing this piece of article, the word Kumerica or Kumerican is the most trending used word in Ghana, and globally recognized by the Ghanaian diaspora. As of now, many people (almost all the Asantes or Kumasi Residents) have embraced the concept of Kumerica, and the meaning of “Kumerican” has also metamorphosed to mean someone who lives in and/or born in Kumasi (Kumerica), and it doesn’t matter whether the person dresses and behaves like a Black American or lives in luxurious lifestyle with bling-bling.

young kumericans

KUMERICAN DRILL MUSIC

The up-coming artistes and musicians in Kumerica have popularized the words (Kumerica and Kumerican) in their songs and music to reflect their identity as Kumericans and Asantes at large. Apart from the fact that the term Kumerica is used to mean the city of Kumasi, it is now also associated with the hiphop kind of music in Kumasi. It seems to have created another genre of Ghanaian hiphop (hiplife) which is typically associated with the Asantes, and Kumasi in particular. And this kind of lifestyle and rap and behaviours and swag (confidence, self-important or self-esteem and pride) show their identity as people from a royal kingdom (the Asante Kingdom or Asante Region). One of the most popular Kumerican hiphop that is/was a classic and superb is the AKatafou by Kawabanga-(feat: O’Kenneth, Reggie & Jay Bahd). This music, the AKatafou popularized Kumericans and Kumerica on the social media from the mid 2020. Click to watch the Official Video of AKATAFOU on YouTube.

The Kumericans now claim that Kumerica (Kumasi) is no more a city (or not only a city) but also a country within a country. They believe that Kumerica is a country with its towns and suburbs now turning into states therefore making Kumerica a country. Again, Kumeicans believe their Region, the Asanti Region, is now called the United States of Asantes, (USA), therefore making Asanti Region also a country within the country Ghana. So Kumerica is a country within the country the United States of Asantes (USA), and also the country Ghana. To the non-Kumericans, they think these Kumasi guys (Kumericans) are funny people that’s why they are giving themselves funny and catching names and terms which are associated with America. At first, we all thought it was a joke, these Kumricans are cracking jokes on the social media but this funny game has turned into sensational movement and creating job opportunities for the youth in Kumasi. This Kumerica or Kumerican sensation has created economic avenues for some people in the Asante Kingdom, as people are making and designing clothes, shoes, face-masks, rings, earrings, caps, cups and necklaces with the words “Kumerican” or “Kumerica”.

There is currently high demand for cloths, shirts, shorts, shoes and face-masks (paraphernalia) with inscriptions like “Proud to be Kumerican”, “I’m Kumerican”, “Proud Kumerican”. These clothes especially the T-Shit and rings with “Kumerica” or “Kumerican” logo are sold for GH50 Cedis, GH70 Cedis, GH30 Cedis or GH100 Cedis. Young guys in the city of Greater Kumerica are also taking advantage of the Kumerican fever (or wave) to make songs and music for sales especially on the internet. Professional musicians, rapper, songwriters, social media bloggers, radio and TV stations are all trying to get monies out of this Kumerica and Kumerican phenomenon by creating contents and programmes that relate to, reflect or contain the concept of Kumericans or Kumerica. YPee is one of the great artistes in Kumerica who has musicalized the towns in Kumerica to correspond to the cities and states in America. eg: Bantama, a popular and most densely town in Kumasi, is called Florida, Kejetia is now called New York, Adum is now called Manhattan in Kumerica. A social media Celebrity and UK-based Ghanaian, popularly known as Zoro-King is one of the Godfathers of Kumericans. OTUMFUO Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, is the King of The United States of Asantes (The Asante Kingdom/Asante Region), and he lives at Manhyia Palace, the Washington DC of Kumerica. Nana Akwasi Boakye Yiadom (Naby) is a Kumerican from Kumerica but currently lives in the UK.

This name “Kumerica” is not officially accepted by the Ghana Government to replace the official name Kumasi in all Ghana Government Documents. These young Kumericans believe that one day their dream of making Kumerica and Kumerican officially accepted by the government and the King of the Asante Kingdom (Asantehene) would come true. These guys have planned to meet the King to talk about or petition him about the possibilities of making Kumerican and Kumerica official for the people and the city of Kumasi and Asanti Region at large. There are many funny revelations about this Kumerican phenomenon as the people of Kumerica in a humour way trying to suggest they have developed their National Coat of Arm, National Flag called Kumerican flag. They claim to have developed (or created) their own currency called Kumerican Dollar (K$). They have Kumerican Passport. The Kumerican slogan or motto is “They Can’t War With Us” and “Stronger than the Apartheid”.

Asakaa is a typical street language developed by the people of Kumerica. It is a language of a blend of Twi, English, Fanti, Hausa, etc in a reversed writing and pronunciation. One of the main reasons why the people of Kumasi developed Asakaa is for trading. They use Asakaa basically for trading at the main central business areas like Adum, kejetia, Racehorse, Bantama, etc. When selling and buying things at Kejetia or Adum, the sellers/traders would use Asakaa to communicate/talk to themselves so that a person (a buyer) buying from them the traders (sellers) will not understand what they (sellers/traders) are talking about. This street language in Kumasi used by the Kumericans mainly started by the young people who were mainly men who hustle day and night to buy and sell at the most busiest and biggest opened market in West Africa, Kejetia. Kumericans have now created a musical genre from Asakaa. So the Kumerican movement has created Asakaa Genre or Asakaa Drill Music. Within the Kumericans, there is a group called Asakaa group who created and brought this type of music called Asakaa Music. They also have created Asakaa Dance.

Asakaa Music is full of terms, words whether Twi or English which are used by the Kumericans, and understood by the Kumericans. In Asakaa music or Asakaa language, the word, “brother” is spelt as or pronounced as “Dabro”. The language is like a reverse of words, phrases, sentences and stuff. When the young guys do not want strangers/visitiors who are non-Kumasi or non-Kumericans to understand what they (Kumasi guys) are saying (or talking about) they speak in Asakaa language. When non-Kumasi people come to Kumasi for the first time whether to trade or buy from them at Adum and Kejetia, the Kumericans (the people of Kumasi) can use/speak in Asakaa to confuse the strangers (visitors or the buyers), not to let them (the non-Kumericans) understand what they (Kumericans) are speaking about.

With time, we will update and document every new development about this Kumericans especially their music and lifestyles.

KUMERICA by Ypee

WILL THE MOVEMENT OF KUMERICA TURN INTO POLITICAL MOVEMENT OR A POLITICAL BODY?

Something which started as a fun on social media especially on Facebook has/is turning into a serious organization sort of fighting for our own group. Some prophets and pastor and reverend ministers are predicting and prophesying that Kumerica movement would turn into serious political body that is going to bring chaos in Ghana. Such people claim that it is the devil, Satan who has brought this Kumerica phenomenon to bring war in Ghana and destabilize our peace as Ghanaians. Therefore they are calling on the president and government of Ghana to stop it with immediate effect. They are also calling on his majesty OTUMFUO OSEI TUTU II to intervene to stop this Kumerica movement so in the near future Kumerica will bring separation and division in Ghana. They believe these people will one day demand for their independence as a separate nation from Ghana.

In one interview by Zionfelix Media with one of the main organizers of Kumerica, called David Portfolio MC, said the Kumerica is a whole movement with proper and formal structures and executives. This man said Kumerica/Kumericans have national executive council, and he is the national communication spoke person (public relation officer/PRO). He said Kumerica is not a tribalism, or tribalistic body or tribal movement or political body or political movement or high treason body; it does not intent to separate itself from Ghana or claim independence in the near future, but basically to promote young guys and the youth in Kumasi, Asanti Region into music and art and film industries. He continues that they want to petition the president and the Manhyia palace to add Asakaa as a native language of Kumericans to the national languages we study in schools in Ghana. The PRO said the name/term “KUMERICA” has been registered by them (Kumerica national executive council) at the Ghana registry office as a brand, a body, an organization/association which is into business and creative art industries.

In the interview, David Portfolio MC (Kumerican PRO) confirms that