Slow Down, Shatta Wale, Slow Down

Dear Shatta Wale, I may have done a lot of writing prior to the 15th Vodafone Ghana Music Awards to tell Ghanaians why among all the heavyweights nominated for the biggest honour, you deserved it the most but also, there are some things that I wish to bring to your attention. I was beside myself with joy when you were finally named as Ghana�s Artiste of the Year for 2013. That excitement was short-lived since you were not present to pick those awards yourself. Let me once again take this opportunity to say congratulations, for you proved that hard work is the surest bet to success. Hard work doesn�t always show itself in good lights. Over the years, you have rebelled, called and castigated people who you thought were working against you. By that sheer track record of being in the news always for the not so good reasons, you surprised many Ghanaians with something you said few days after your manager, Lawrence Nana Hanson popularly known as Bulldog was picked up by the Police Criminal Investigation Department as a prime suspect in relation to the death of Fennec Okyere who until his death was Kwaw Kese�s manager. Looking at your track record of rebelling anyone who has or is working against you, you surprised me a great deal when you took to the online social networking website, Facebook, to write on the need for your fans and Ghanaians in general to keep calm as the Police interrogate your manager. You posted thus: �I know the luv u all have for the shatta movement crew. Lets all keep calm and let the police do their work. We hope everything goes well with this loyal and great manager I have ever worked with, Bull Dog.� Still talking about your rebel nature, a lot of Ghanaians, may have expected that you were going to release a song to call for your manager�s release like you have always done in situations where you thought you were wrongly treated, but you swerved everyone. Your insulting song which was directed at the organisers of the Ghana Music Awards, Charter House, after the 2013�s awards and other songs that have followed after in the year under review cannot be forgotten so soon. The reason for this letter is as follows and the points are based on conversations that I have had with people; Foul language You are a good songwriter. Nobody is doubting that about you but your continued use of the �p� word and the rest of those offensive lines in your songs should end as soon as possible. I know you will argue that, those songs are not for radio consumption but for the ghettos who hail you even when you are wrong. Dancehall may be about gangsterism and I used to think that, you were on the right track but the foul, attacking and offensive language in your songs are just too many and are becoming predictable and boring. Chances are that, Ghanaians wouldn�t want you to fool them again with your controversial stances which helped you to come back. Too many releases Even though I admire your creativity and your penchant for constantly releasing new materials into the public domain via Facebook, I think that, it would be better to ease off a bit. When you do that, you risk making a hit. Every musician�s dream is to get a banging hit which automatically ensures that, even organisers or promoters cannot sideline you when any big show is organised. If my reckoning is right, you put out new songs at the average of twice a week. What�s the idea of putting those songs out, if not for them to be popular and become like an anthem like several others which catapulted you to the top? For instance, if you release a song on Monday and on Friday, another song is ready, how do you expect the fans to fully enjoy those songs? How does the song become a national anthem like Dancehall King, Everybody Like My Thing and the rest of your banging hits? I think you have to really look at this area critically and advise yourself accordingly. Top UK newspaper, Guardian, featured your song Whine Ya Waist featuring Nigeria musician, Davido, as one of the �Five must-listen new tracks from around the world� alongside songs from Egpyt�s Islam Chipsy, Canada�s Catherine Leduc, Slovenia�s It�s Everyone Else and Denmark�s Lowly. Now what has happened to the song? Its dead and the sad reason is that, you killed it with the reason that I have stated above. Then came with your collaboration with Jamaican Dancehall act, Jah Vinci, on Party All Night�. What has happened to that song is that, if it�s not dead, then I do not know where it�s resting.