In Rotation: Bnnyhunna

Benjamin Ankomah learned his chops in the church pews of Southeast Amsterdam, but his hands speak the rhythm of West Africa. The Ghanaian-born, Netherlands-based multi-instrumentalist goes by Bnnyhunna. He plays the piano, guitar, and drums. He also understands exactly when to leave them alone. His newly released album Psalm Funk is built around the concept of "ma" — the artistic principle of negative space. The silence between the notes matters just as much as the chords themselves. Following up his previous project ECHOES OF PRAYER, this new LP leans heavily into his live instrumentation roots. On the official video for "Sorry Not Sorry," he brings in jazz heavyweights Braxton Cook and Tallulah Rose to float over a spacious groove. The bassline sits deep in the pocket. The gospel harmonies stack up thick, then drop out completely to let the syncopated drums ride. Modern R&B has a bad habit of hiding weak songwriting behind washed-out synth pads to fake a vibe. Bnnyhunna strips that artificial layer away. He arranges like a jazz bandleader and produces like a hip-hop head. "The Heart Part 2" features Grammy-nominated vocalist 3DDY, capturing the hesitation of intimacy through sheer musical arrangement. The drums drag slightly behind the beat while the vocal delivery stays intimately close to the mic. He even pulls in Kokoroko's Sheila Maurice-Grey to flesh out the cross-cultural sonic palette. The data proves the timing is right. "Waiting For You" featuring Reggie Dartey just cracked Spotify's RADAR US and Fresh Finds R&B playlists. College radio stations from Philly’s WKDU to Aspen’s KDNK are keeping him in heavy rotation. He’s taking the live show on the road soon, hitting Belgium's Helden in het Park in July before anchoring the Haarlem Vinyl Festival in October. A lot of producers just click in MIDI notes until a beat sounds passable. Bnnyhunna actually has the callouses. Check it out below.