To the ears, it’s readily pleasing to hear an established Ghanaian artist announce that he or she wants to sign on an upcoming artist unto his or her record label – but in the deeper sense, it is the most risible remark or decision to make or take.
For whatever reason (s) – to show how ingenuous, business-minded, kind, discover talents, milk upcoming talents, etc. some household named or established Ghanaian artists came public to announce their move to sign on promising artists under their record labels or management outfits.
Unfortunately, 99% of those who did so have failed to impress themselves, the artists and the public at large. In short, they have goofed execrably! Award winning Hiplife musician, Okyeame Kwame, CEO of One Mic Entertainment, announced to the whole world that he has signed his blood brothers who go by the stage name Bradez unto his aforementioned record label.
For years, nothing positive was heard about Bradez as artists on One Mic Entertainment. Whilst speculations were rife and tongues were wagging, Okyeame Kwame came to tell the media that he is having management collaboration with Empire Entertainment. Per their memorandum of understanding, Empire was to take charge of Okyeame’s branding, marketing and events.
Today, whilst ‘The Rapdacta’ is making the headlines, his Bradez are still pushing all doors to become relevant once again but to no avail!
Celebrated Hiplife/Hiphop artist, Kwaw Kesse, CEO of Mad Time Entertainment, also came out to announce that he has signed his own brother by name Buda unto his Mad Time Entertainment Records.
Kwaw Kesse used his influence to get at least TV interviews for his brother, featured him in a music video, and that is all! Maybe Buda might have been invited by Lord Gautama Buddha – to answer why he took an auspicious name and decided to bastardize it (spelt it wrongly).
D-Cryme, after making hit with his ‘wobekumi afere’ single, came chest out to tell the whole world that he has theorized another music genre called Twi Pop. He bargained and negotiated on several platforms to register his Twi Pop into the minds of the public but the industry scorned his attempt. Today, D-Cryme is nowhere to be found.
He signed on a number of artists he preferred calling them The Twi Pop soldiers – not even one of them is making the headlines neither is he also doing any better in the game. Putting him in the rightful annals of Ghana’s music industry, D-Cryme has been firmly ensconced in the books of ‘one time hit makers who are fasting for the next hit.’
Richie of Lynx Entertainment, a singer, producer and sound recording engineer, also at one point, amassed a number of artists unto his record label – namely: Asem, Ziggy, Eazzy, O.J Black and D3. Today, only God knows if he is preparing to ‘reincarnate’ his crunk music genre or invest into other ventures.
As for the artists he signed, not even one is still on his record label – and none is also making any meaningful impact in their music career.
Finally, let’s look at award winning Highlife musician-Kwabena Kwabena. He signed a new artist unto his record label but till now, not even a write-up is seen on the guy. The best Kwabena Kwabena did was having featured the guy in his music video where this innocent guy undressed a nice lady and ‘munched’ some flesh.
It is or may be feasible in other jurisdictions for established artists to sign on upcoming artists successfully due to their well structured industry – with the kind of industry we have in Ghana, it does not make sense at all for any musician to do so. In fact, whether it happens successfully elsewhere or not is not the point!
The point rather is, if you are an artist and you sign on another upcoming artist unto your record label, the germane questions worth cogitating upon are: ‘I’m I going to promote him/her to overtake me? Outshine me? Be popular than me? Get more gigs? More endorsement deals?
Well, per my school of thought, an artist who has not yet retired from active music in Ghana should not sign on another upcoming artist unto his or her record label – because most times it does not or has not worked! The real facts are there! The new artists always fly away after growing wings – then these established ones come public quetching and making use of all forms of adjectives: ungrateful, traitor, opportunist, etc.
I see every artist – established or not who has not yet retired from active music as a running man in a race. If you carry another man at your back, you either fall with him or get to your destination late. Since life has not come to extinction, let’s all cross our fingers and see if any of the above mentioned names can prove me wrong or not. Until then…MOTWUM!!
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