He is regarded as a pioneer of highlife and afrobeat music and one of the most illustrious Ghanaian musicians of the 20th century.
[10] His musical career also involved him in electoral politics, including composing a song for Jerry Rawlings's National Democratic Congress party to use in the 1992 election campaign.
Ampadu also released a song critical of an attempt to disqualify Rawlings from the 1992 election based on him being half-Scottish.
[11] Nana Ampadu toured with the S. K. Oppong Drama Group, which performed concerts and short plays on the programmes of his band.
This group later evolved to become the cast of Osofo Dadzie, the most popular Ghana TV drama series for many years.