Veteran rapper Nii Addo Quaynor, popularly known in showbiz as Tinny, says despite being a difficult personality to work with at times, celebrated music producer Hammer still chooses to collaborate with him.

“Maybe it is the understanding. I dey worry, but Hammer still works with me,” he said during an interview on Joy Prime’s Prime Time Show with host George Quaye.

The rapper, known for his unique Ga flow and pioneering influence in Ghana’s hiplife scene, opened up about his early days and creative evolution.

Tinny revealed that although he’s now firmly associated with Ga rap, he didn’t start that way.

“Yeah, I actually started as a Twi rapper. I was doing more Twi and English than a bit of Ga, but I wasn’t a Ga rapper,” he admitted.

“You see, Twi is the most spoken language in Ghana, so when you’re doing something in Twi, you perceive that the faster it will go. Consider merchandising and market-wise, I mean it goes fast.”

But according to him, something didn’t sit right with that approach.

“So I decided to do my thing in Twi. But later on, I realised that I’m not original. I have to be me and represent where I’m coming from. That’s why I went back to my pen and my paper and I wrote like Makola Kwakwe and other songs.”

Asked whose idea it was to make the switch from Twi to Ga, Tinny was clear: “No one, I decided myself.”

He also clarified rumours that music producer Hammer was the one who inspired the switch.

“No, this was way before meeting Hammer. I was a Ga rapper before meeting him.”

Tinny recounted how he got introduced to Hammer: “I remember I met Hammer through Doggo. When Dogo was going to record his album, Hammer was looking for a Ga rapper.

"So Dogo actually told Hammer about me, and I was home when he called me. I drove there, and I met him, and the rest is history, as they say.”

Speaking about his creative chemistry with Hammer, Tinny lit up.

“The feeling alone was great. Because Hammer is the type that can mute everything and drop you some baseline that you go crazy… wow… even before dropping the strings and everything.

"So it brings the feeling out of you. Like the creativity to come out. I love working with Hammer, one of the best engineers so far.”

Despite being known for his strong personality, Tinny said that it didn’t stop Hammer from continuing to work with him.

“I dey worry but Hammer still works with me,” he repeated, highlighting the mutual respect and artistic bond that defines their long-standing relationship.