Controversial Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale has bared his teeth at his colleague, Stonebwoy in a recent video that is circulating on social media.
The latest clash was allegedly sparked by Stonebwoy’s comments during a live Twitter spaces discussion on August 24 with 3 Entertainment’s Berla Mundi on industry pressures and the pursuit of international recognition.
The discussion aimed to dissect the current state of the Ghanaian music industry in the wake of Nigerian artist Asake’s successful O2 arena concert.
During the conversation, Stonebwoy’s manager, Chief Stylz addressed the reasons behind the artiste’s absence from the Afronation Detroit festival, attributing it to alleged sabotage and gatekeeping within the Nigerian music industry.
However, it was Stonebwoy’s perspective on the pressures faced by Ghanaian artistes to achieve the level of success enjoyed by their Nigerian counterparts that seemed to have triggered Shatta Wale’s fiery response.
Stonebwoy emphasized that pressures alone wouldn’t suffice and that the industry required a more robust foundation to facilitate growth.
“Like Sarkodie will say no pressure. I don’t see pressure. What I see is awareness,” he stated.
He noted the necessity of raising awareness and establishing effective systems to support local talents.
“Because Until we achieve what we want to achieve, we can pressure ourselves as much as we want; if we apply the pressure in the wrong direction, then we will not get any answer.”
Shatta Wale, known for his outspoken nature, didn’t hold back in criticizing Stonebwoy’s viewpoint.
In the said video, Shatta Wale accused Stonebwoy of diminishing himself by attempting to emulate Nigerian artists, particularly mentioning Burna Boy’s style.
“Stonebwoy was asked if he was facing pressure, and he said no pressure, but awareness. You dress and do your Instagram photos like Burna Boy. Hasn’t anyone told you?” he quizzed
Shatta Wale also pointed out instances where Stonebwoy’s stage behaviour was less than favourable, raising questions about his professionalism and approach to performances.
“You are facing pressure, which is why you want to go on stage later, you want to be on stage at the same time as Wizkid? Look at what you did at AfroNation Detroit. You were given time to come on stage, you wanted to go at the time you wanted,” he stated.
Shatta Wale’s criticism took a particularly harsh tone when discussing Stonebwoy’s alleged compensation for performances.
Shatta Wale claimed that Stonebwoy accepted a payment of $10,000 while top Nigerian artists like Burna Boy received substantially higher fees, such as $300,000.
Shatta Wale argued that such decisions could affect an artiste’s perceived importance and stature in the industry.
“You allow yourself to be paid $10,000 while Burna Boy gets paid $300,000. Did you expect to be treated like an important person? You are just a curtain raiser!! You will never get the same platform as Wizkid, Davido, or Burna Boy!” he lamented.
This clash between Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy is not an isolated incident. Shatta Wale has previously expressed candid opinions about the Ghanaian music scene and its artistes.
His earlier comments congratulating Asake for his O2 Arena performance while expressing disappointment in Ghanaian artistes’ inability to achieve similar heights stirred controversy and raised questions about the support structures in place for local talents.
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