Some musicians discover their artistic talent early, and Don Rodeo is one of them. Born Favour Samuel Ufort Mensah, the Nigerian-Ghana based artist, started music at seven, mostly mumbling and adding vocals to songs. As a child, Don Rodeo had always loved singing and playing with anything music related. But, thanks to his older brother, he discovered he wanted to be a music star after receiving a couple of DVDs with hip-hop hits. The DVDs featured music from celebrities such as Fat Joe, Cassidy, and DJ Khaled, amongst other hip-hop artists.
Don Rodeo is a singer and songwriter who sometimes takes part in the production of his songs. A multi-talented artist, his songs cut across various genres, including Afrobeats, AfroPop, trap and drill. Don Rodeo draws musical inspiration from many sources and countries. In Nigeria, he taps inspiration from Wande Coal, Tekno and the legends Fela Kuti and Lagbaja. His hip-hop DNA consists of influences from Tory Lanez, Future, Juice Wrld, Roddy Ricch, Young MA, Migos, and Kendrick Lamar. Adding to his list of world influences, Don Rodeo is a fan of Irish singer Enya, the pioneer of modern Celtic music and Greek American composer Yanni, known for blending jazz, soft rock and pop music.
Since Don Rodeo began making music commercially, he has worked with many renowned Ghanaian producers, including DatBeatGod, Sprytmyx, and Nxwrth. He has also recorded songs with various Ghanaian artists, which he is yet to release. The young talent is set to make a comeback with “Black Mamba,” his first single since his last release in April 2021.
“Black Mamba” is an Afrobeat song depicting African women’s uniqueness and beauty. Don Rodeo wrote the DatBeatGod-produced song to remind every African woman that she is special in every way and to instil confidence, comfort and pride in her skin. The song fuses a softcore amapiano feel and an Afro Pop beat to create a dance instrumental pattern, further appreciating the African music culture. Speaking on the inspiration behind the song, Don Rodeo said, “I just wanted to portray the beauty of the African woman and her unique qualities in the midst of the societal and biological perceived flaws she may possess.”
