Ghanaian rap heavyweight Lyrical Joe closes his “5th August 10” EP with “8 (Outro),” and the final chapter lands exactly the way a closing track should.
The numbering system Lyrical Joe runs across his “5th August” series has become one of Ghana hip-hop’s most recognisable creative identities. Each instalment builds on the last – and closing an EP with a track simply called “8” is a deliberate structural decision. It anchors the project inside a larger ongoing narrative while giving this particular chapter its own defined endpoint.
“8 (Outro)” carries the reflective quality that good outro tracks demand. Lyrical Joe shifts from the assertive energy of records like “Dragon” and “Mr. Owner” earlier on the EP and settles into something more inward. The writing sits on personal growth, the journey, and the conviction that keeps him in the studio despite everything outside it. Because an artist who has been doing this since the early days of his career knows what the decade behind him cost – and a track called “Outro” is where that accounting naturally happens.
The production stays polished and measured – giving the words room to land without rushing toward a climactic moment. Because a good outro does not need to end loudly.
His global credentials also give this record extra weight as a closing statement. Lectures studied his lyrics at Edge Hill University in the UK. No Life Shaq and Lost in Vegas reacted to his music. Tim Westwood gave him the platform twice. For someone who turned grief into craft after losing both parents young, “8 (Outro)” is not just a song ending an EP. It is another chapter in a story that keeps going.
Stream “8 (Outro)” on the “5th August 10” EP and tell us – is Lyrical Joe Ghana’s greatest living rapper right now?
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