“NO WAHALA
IN MY DESTINY”
1999-2019
BECOMING BOISTORY
Ozor Agyare-Kumi, who lit up the world as BOISTORY, was born with the gift of creativity. He made up songs and stories as soon as he could talk, and their sophistication only grew over time. By 6, he regularly composed catchy choruses, remixed songs and wrote full-length films.
His incredibly active imagination also manifested as anxiety: triggers such as losing sight of his parents could lead him to spirals of panicked thoughts about the worst outcomes.
By 15, he was scribbling songs in his class notebooks, and self-studying film. It was at this age that he made the decision to invest more in music, because he was fascinated with how it could make him, and others, feel.
Ozor spent his 16th birthday at Korle Bu Hospital where his father, Benjamin, was in recovery from a debilitating stroke. A month later, Ozor watched as his father’s body suddenly began to fail during physiotherapy. He wrote often about the impact of this moment:
"When my dad died, I became a lot more envious of other people. Not because they still had both their parents, it was their outlook on life I wanted. Because you see most people, until they experience death in a way that is close to them, they aren’t aware of how mortal we all are. I had realized at 16 the truth which was that Death happens to everyone and anyone and at any time. No one walks away untouched. But I would’ve given anything for a little bit more time to not have to think like that. Just a little bit more time to feel invincible."
In a conversation with his teacher and mentor, Gavin Peter, Ozor described the time after his father’s passing as “the rug, the floor, the ground, the earth, everything is gone.” It’s at this time that he first started to suffer panic attacks. It’s also at this time that music became his medicine and guiding light. His mom notes that making music took Ozor’s mind off the traumatic loss and “gave him a drive towards reducing some of his anxiety.”
In the months after his father’s passing, Ozor learned how to make beats by watching Youtube tutorials.
Months later he received an opportunity to attend school in the Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts, where he deepened his knowledge in music production. When he returned to South Africa to complete his secondary school education at the African Leadership Academy, he threw himself into the creative arts scene. Ozor wrote plays, shot films, curated playlists for study time, collaborated in singing groups, and made an EP, collaborating widely with friends like Daniel, Bella, Mowa, and Kuzi. (this list is not exhaustive). He garnered a reputation for being ‘the music guy’ — the one whose speaker supplied a steady stream of dreamy groovy melody wherever he went.
Through steady and joyful expression, Ozor was being prepared. But for what?
2020 - 2022
BOISTORY UNLEASHED
In 2019, during his sophomore year of university, Ozor released his first single as BOISTORY: bruised. The release was very well-received, and connected BOISTORY to his manager: King Gyan.
In addition to being the Purpose Director at the Right to Dream Football Academy, Gyan is also Founder of AMIN Group, which supports talented young people in creating impactful and sustainable brands. BOISTORY’s mother met Gyan in 2018 at a conference she organised, and thought he would be an excellent mentor and male role model to Ozor since his father had passed on. But when Gyan heard BOISTORY’S music, he knew he wanted to work with him.
BOISTORY laid a solid foundation for his career as an underground superstar through his priorities at university. His audition for the university a capella group the Midnight Ramblers in his first year is still legendary among the wildly popular team. “There was no doubt in our minds that BOISTORY would make it even bigger and be the next superstar,” said Joel Omino, BOISTORY’s fellow Rambler.
“It was only a matter of time.” The group wasted no time in spotlighting him, writing a solo designed specially for his voice weeks after he first joined. He performed with the Ramblers at events, headline shows, and statewide competitions, collecting awards along the way. BOISTORY also performed at concerts organised by the African student community, later organising his own shows with the help of his then-Creative Director, Aanya Myrie-Silburn. BOISTORY funded his music with support from his mom, Gyan, and pay from his university coffee shop barista job. BOISTORY also released his first music video Gbana during this time, in partnership with torò fka Roadman (the main artist) and Daniel Semphere (the director). In his junior year, he unveiled his self-titled EP, BOISTORY: the project that would put his name on the lips of stars.
2022-2024
BOISTORY TAKES OFF
BOISTORY started working at a summer camp run by his old high school after graduating university. He also dropped a new song: ORE. The song went camp-viral, with both teens and staff playing it incessantly. Their consistency was rewarded by a surprise BOISTORY performance at the end of camp.
During this time, BOISTORY received an Instagram message from alté star Odunsi the Engine, one of his musical heroes.
“It just says ‘send BEBE open,’” BOISTORY said, tilting his phone screen. After Googling what an “open” is, he sent Odunsi a version of his song with space for Odunsi to write his own verse. That December, Odunsi flies to Accra to meet BOISTORY and his team, and they film the first iteration of the BOISTORY feat. Odunsi the engineBEBE video. Odunsi later offers to pay for a second iteration, which is ultimately released as the official video.
BOISTORY also performed at Alliance-Francaise in Accra that December, opening for Pure Akan. The other artists who performed that night were all taken by the beauty of his velvet voice, and began to explore the possibility of further collaborations.
That December, BOISTORY also met his online collaborators, Joeyturks, and Rvdical the Kid. The meetings solidified their friendship, and birthed tracks like “Leaning,” (Joeyturks & BOISTORY) and the 123…Arcade! Project. (Rvdical & BOISTORY)
In March 2023, Vibrate Studios flew BOISTORY from Johannesburg to Accra to be the headline guest performer for their monthly Masterclass. He recalls this as the first time he had a performance where he did not allow himself to be anxious.
Unbeknownst to BOISTORY, in this same period, Rvdical had played his music to Wale Davies: half of the sensational duo Show Dem Camp, Head A&R of SONY’s Africa Music Publishing, and founder of music label MARS.
“I was immediately blown away,” Davies said. “Sometimes you can predict where an artist is going to take a run, but his choices were just so unique. And then his pen… you could tell this guy is a lyricist, he played with words in a really beautiful way.” Davies’ interest in BOISTORY spiked when a young lady approached him at an event and once again offered to play him some of the artist’s music. Davies asked Rvdical to set up a call with BOISTORY and connected with him on Instagram.
“He sent me a private soundcloud link to stuff that was unreleased, I couldn’t stop listening to it,” said Davies. “I had a trip to Jamaica and I just kept playing it in the house and everybody who was in the house, Tems and Guiltybeatz, kept asking me ‘who is that?’”
In April 2023, BOISTORY signed with MARS.
2024 - NOW
BOISTORY LIVES
On May 22 2024, BOISTORY lost consciousness while disembarking his flight due to a blood clot that had travelled to his heart. The medical team did all they could to relieve the pressure, but he passed away that morning.
But “a great story never ends — it’s built on.”
(King Osei Gyan)
BOISTORY lives on — in glory, yes. And through his music, through the lives he touched. In just 24 years, Ozor created arresting musical experiences that impacted people all over the world. His zest for life and passionate creativity inspired everyone around him, and in the years to come you’ll see those closest to him continue to inspire, create and shine all in his name. All because he believed so deeply in his creative power that others could not help but be moved.
All because he spoke life and never ending encouragement into his friends and family. He carried hope, love, peace, and a wicked sense of humor everywhere he went. In his final days of life, he did what he loved, with people he loved. He told his friends that this was his last year as an emerging artist, his boom was imminent, he could feel it.
BOISTORY’s joint project with Rvdical the Kid, 123…Arcade! is one of the last musical pursuits BOISTORY completed audio and visuals for before his untimely passing. It showcases some of his best melodising and thinking yet.
“It was always super fun to work with BOISTORY because he did not lack words, he did not lack ideas,” said Rvdical. “In my mind I was like ‘this is so amazing’… he has this raw unpolished R&B vibe to him.” The project will be released in July 2025. Its first single, Myself, is currently available for streaming on all platforms.
Two documentaries reflecting on BOISTORY’s life and legacy are also slated for release later in 2025.
AMIN, MARS, the BOISTORY Foundation, and Ozor’s community continue to find ways to ensure that the underground superstar’s impact moves through hearts and is felt across the world.
We “still hear a beautiful song.” (Wale Davies)
And we will sing it, till we meet BOISTORY again.
