Who Is Even Paying This Payola?

When you ask any of our Ghanaian Musicians about some of the major problems that curtail the growth of the music industry, all you hear is PAYOLA PAYOLA! I have heard Reggie Rockstone the Godfather of Hip life says” Fuck Payola, Payola is Bullshit”. A recent interview on www.ghanacelebrities.com with top music stars like Kwabena Kwabena, Wanlov the Kubolor, Mensa, etc brings to light that, our music industry is dying out of payola though every artist seem to have a different perception on the effects on Payola.

The funny thing about this “Payola” issue is that, all of the musicians www.ghanacelebrities.com has interviewed coupled with the others I have heard talk about it claim to have never ever paid payola before. This leaves me with the question, who even pays this payola at all since most of the musicians claim to have never paid payola before.

One may ask, what is Payola at all?. In my own little understanding, Payola refers to a practise where Musicians or producers pay Dj’s to get their tracks air play. So it is influencing Dj’s with money to get a tracks played on radio stations,clubs,etc even though the tracks may not be that good or cannot attract air plays themselves.

I strongly believe Eminem, Beyonce, etc do not pay BBC, BET or MTV to play their songs. Since these stations and Dj’s want to feed their viewers and listeners with the best of songs that can satisfy their thirst, they will surely play the good songs out there in the market.

The above presupposes that, our musicians who are doing the “boot leg” songs are the payola payers; they might be too ashamed to admit their unhealthy doings. Let us all come together and kick Payola out of the Ghanaian Music Industry, It is speedily killing creativity and good work