Joe Frazier on Some Ghanaian Artistes And Call Some
As AZONTO artists.
Rapper Joe Frazier thinks some Ghanaian musicians arereleasing garbage to their fans to enjoy, instead of focusing on quality.
The veteran musician who returned to Ghana not long ago after his recent trip to France speaking on Happy FM lobbed these accusations at the current crop of musicians.
He said most Ghanaians become musicians just to attain fame for their personal reasons which has mademany release trash as songs for their fans to enjoy.“Some people force themselves to be musicians even though they are not, just because they want to be famous.
It wasn’t like that during our days when we started. We suffered before even getting someone to help us come out."We spent time on our songs back then but this time, an engineer just calls an artiste and something is done that very day because the artiste will just sing anything and they are good to go.
"Most of the young guys do not know what is music. What they know is Azonto is trending so let me go that style.”He mentioned Akwaboah Senior, Ampadu and other veterans as musicians that Ghanaians still enjoy their songs because they took time to produce good songs.
Joe Frazier then named Stay Jay, Atumpan, and Nana Boro as musicians who are not heard again after Ghanaians lost interest in Azonto songs.According to him, these three musicians became relevant during the Azonto days but are nowhere to befound after Ghanaians kicked away azonto.
“We still enjoy songs of the old musicians even thoughsome are not alive. Lets even ask the whereabouts of some of the guys who were on top during azonto days.Azonto died with most of them. Somebody like Nana Boro, his song like “Aha aye de”, azonto went with it. Atumpan is also not heard in the system again after his small girl song.
"Most of the guys run after azonto because it was reigning so they’ve also died with it."Where’s Stay Jay after Azonto? There are (also) certain people I won’t listen to their songs because they do not make any sense.
"He was pleased to note "we still have Obrafour, Okyeame Kwame and Reggie still in the game”.
You have bitten the wrong meat - Stay Jay tells Joe
Fraizer
Ghanaian Hiplife musician, Stay Jay,
has responded to claims by Joe Fraizer that he is irrelevant now in the
entertainment industry.Joe Fraizer, in an interview on Happy FM named Stay Jay,
Atumpan and Nana Boro as musicians who are not any more relevant after
Ghanaians lost interest in Azonto songs.He also said most Ghanaians become
musicians just to attain fame for their personal reasons which has made many
release ‘trash’ as songs for their fans to enjoy. In response, Stay Jay wrote a
long statement to Pulse.com.gh asking Fraizer to get his facts right before he
speaks. According to Stay, Fraizer failed to differentiate music genres and how
they work. Stay Jay, who returned from his 2016 Europe tour a few days ago with
two awards received in Holland, further stated that “if Fraizer wants an
attention to make become relevant, then he has bitten the wrong meat. ”Here is
the full statement. “I am really grateful Jor Fraizer has been able to air his
opinion in public. If it wasn't in public I would not have heard it though I am
really thankful for him making it known. No disrespect though but I wish to ask
if he could let us know the music period or season when he was relevant? Music
is a talent and certainly when the talent is there you will always survive. He made
mentioned that azonto made me popular and relevant at a time. No problem with
that. Azonto is not in the system but where is Stay Jay? I am here doing my
thing. I went on a tour in Europe, was it because of Azonto why I got the
shows? Maybe he can answer that. Will a community honour me an award because of
Azonto which is no more in the system? Maybe he needs to understand that when
you have the talent you can surviveanything and at any time."Gbohe",
my new song featuring Luther is banging hard everywhere. It's an educative tune
and the message is serving its purpose.It will stay forever as the name Stay
Jay has always been in the entertainment industry. Akwaboah Senior, Ampadu and
the rest he mentioned didn't do Azonto. Theirs was Highlife. I do Afrobeats and
Hiplife.When you start comparing different genres of music, there is no need to
respond to certain arguments but for the sake of my fans and your honourable
invitation, I haveto do this.Joe Fraizer, you have made your name, I respect
you for that but please get your facts right before you comment.If you want the
attention to make you relevant you have bitten the wrong meat. Find another
target.All my songs are being played until today and people are jamming to it,
that is what relevance is about.Unless maybe you using a different dictionary
then I will allow your argument to slide but if no, package yourself and come
again. Thank You!”
MY
TAKE
JOE
FRAZIER WAS RIGHT
BY *AYEHU MICHEAL HAYFORD* (DJ 4CHUN)
Joe Frazier was right on the submissions he poured
concerning music now as compared to music then within their time.
Their days of music was very challenging to the fact
that before getting an engineer like Hammer, Morris Baby Face, Jay Q, Zap
Mallet, Appiatus and Willie Roy to put you on their Beat, you had to be a
Giant and a Marketable Factor.
Talented champs like Rockstone, VIP, Obrafuor, Tic
Tac, Akyeame, Lord Kenya, Okomfour Kwadae and Joe Frazier himself got to know
they had to do a good job before they were allowed to pour lyrics on a beats. This
lead J Q and Hammer to camp musicians, and it was highly enjoyed by their fans.
Creativity of different Styles was the mark.
We enjoyed those times because they sung with Passion
and not basically for Money, Popularity & Fame. Their style of singing and
rapping was different and it was based on their love for the job.
To mention few of the most popular musicians and their
tracks are as below
TH4 Kwagyes – Nana Esi
Lord Kenya – Sika Baa
VIP- Ahomka Wom
Akyeame – Mesan Aba
Obrafuor – Pae mu ka
4x4 - Kooko Aduro
Joe Frazier - Yaa Maame
Bandana – Moko Ho
Okomfuor Kwadae – Meba Mo Nkyen
Terry Bonchaka – Pulele
I can’t mention all their names but I guess the early
followers of music will bear with me.
For it is true some artist are working for Fame,
Popularity and Money and have ignored passion and love for their works.
Back then, Passion was 1st and it followed
with Money and Fame, that’s why
Obrafour, Okyeame Kwame, Rockstone, Samini
and VIP were still reigning because they
were hungry to succeed by doing Good Job, therefore making sure their Writing,
Arrangement, Composition & Engineering are satisfactory. They were very
“ORIGINAL & CREATIVE”. In all they had very Fantastic Stage Craft in terms
of Performance which created Huge Fan base for themselves. Hip Life was at
every corner in those Days.
Lord Kenya, Obrafuor, Okomfuor Kwadae and Terry
Bonchaka were few of them I can recall in terms of Stage Performance with their
different Styles of presentation, I was young by then but they were my
favourite though.
“Now,
Let us define Azonto dance - Azonto is a dance and music genre from Ghana.
The dance is known to have originated from a traditional dance called Kpanlogo associated with the coastal towns in the country such
as Chorkor, James Town, La, Teshie, Nungua and Tema,
in the Greater Accra Region.
As a music genre songs identified
as those with Azonto beats are usually ones dedicated to the dance. However one
can dance Azonto with other music genres.
The dance involves a set of hand movements that either
mimic everyday activities or are meant to amuse an audience. It begun with one
or two step movements but has been advanced to more complex and almost
acrobatic movements. Just like most African dances, Azonto
involves knee bending and hip movements. The dance has effectively evolved from
a few basic moves to miming actions such as ironing of clothes, washing,
driving, boxing, praying, swimming, and others.”
In addition, Apart from the Azonto songs mentioned by
Joe Frazier in his submission, there are many Azonto songs that aren’t playing today
and we are all witnesses to that.
MARK OKREKU MANTEY an endowed Showbiz Analyst, always speaks about the Originality, Authenticity of Ghanaian &
African Music from Lyrics, Composition, Content
through to Engineering wise and most showbiz fans “LASHES” him for being “THRUTHFUL”
to us but for now am glad the Evidence is Manifesting through Joe Frazier.
Any of us who dares my submission on this subject
should just play and pay attention to any of the above tracks and compare to our
current ones and analyse to highlight the difference.
We all agree that music is DYNAMIC and it will always switch
to different GENRE but the Good ones are being enjoyed irrespective of their genres
all the time by DJS, Presenters, Fans and Music lovers in general.
Aben Wo Ha by Daady Lumba, Pimpinaa by Obrafuour &
Mansa by Bisa Kdei are on fire seriously today but they are of different artist
and different genres simply because they are UNIQUE.
To my little knowledge & Idea in showbiz, what
makes an artist (Irrelevant)? The answer is subjective and not objective and it
is based on our Individual perception.
With the few Names of Musicians with their Tracks written,
none of them are Irrelevant as claimed by some Artist of today because they
composed Good music in terms of Quality which Empowered and Paved the Way for
Current music today. As said in Akan Language (S3 wonyini aa,3nsirii Akwatia)
Besides, Obrafuour, Okyeame Kwame, VIP, Kwadae are
competing with no musicians today. I say this because they had captured their
Fan Base and what they are doing now is to simply let their fans know they
“EXIST” & that’s all.
In addition, any artist travelling overseas for a
performance does & will not guarantee that such artist is very talented. For
all we know friends of an artist can arrange an event for their PALS to perform
in the mist of less than 200 audience.
Also, being awarded either in Ghana or Europe does not
make your Talent and Art Works being
fantastic as compared to your colleague’s since we all know there are many
steps that nominees art works goes through before the awards are delivered.
The only disadvantage I see on the part of the artist
that has made Hip Life stand on it toes till date is,
There was no accurate Archive to have stored and visit
all their Good works to Compare to our current artist works which is making it very
difficult to differentiate the Garbage and the Quality said by the Shii….
Shii…... Hit maker Joe Frazier.
Technology advancement in making beats and also the
easy ways to disseminate art works globally via Social Media platforms was not
very vibrant to showcase our Heroes of Hip Life like it is today otherwise the
competition would have been very tough for our current Artist.
I am not condemning any of our current artist but
it’s time we learn as showbiz personnel
and lovers of being honest and truthful to each other.
I will never See and Tag musicians like Ex Doe, Tic
Tac, Chicago, Sonny Bally, Samini, Nana King Okyeame Kofi, Lord Kenya, Hammer, Jay
Q, Zap Mallet as Irrelevant on their submission on any matter concerning Ghana Music
in General.
To conclude, with the above statement that will be
seen as malicious or unpleasant to the names of this peace of article is
sincerely apologised and look forward for additional contributions and
corrections by all of our showbiz lovers
in Ghana since we are learning to make it better for greater height in future.
Kudos for reading.
AYEHU MICHEAL HAYFORD
DJ 4CHUN of 3nitygh.blogsot.com
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