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Music producer and Hitz 103.9 FM’s manager, Mark Okraku Mantey, on Kwaku Sintim Misah’s show The KSM Show last Friday on Metro TV has mentioned that Sarkodie tops all hiplife artistes at present.

When asked to list his top artistes in Ghana, he chose Kwabena Kwabena, Bisa K Dei, Ebo Taylor and Amakye Dede. “Commercially, I think Sarkodie is the top artiste when it comes to hip life and hip hop, high life will be Kwabena Kwabena and Bisa K Dei when it comes to releases but on stage Kwabena Kwabena is untouchable. When it comes to timeless songs, Amakye Dede still competes with the young ones as if he is still young and to those who don’t live here in Ghana and are still surviving and making it like the young people, is Ebo Taylor,” he told KSM.

Speaking about the artistes he has worked with, he mentioned: Oheneba Kissi, Nana Tuffour, George Jahraa, Lord Kenya, Daasebre Gyamenah, Slim Busterr, Nana Yaw Asare, Rev. Mensah Bonsu, Kumi Guitar, OD4, Ewura Esi and more.

“Some of the artistes that I worked with made the job easy but an artiste like Lord Kenya was the craziest artiste I ever worked with and I am not surprised God called him into gospel ministry. I wasn’t surprised when he said he was on drugs,” Mark said.

“Organic music will come back and we will come back. I am not gone totally, I am still around. The organic ones don’t get airplay because DJ’s are playing songs of their friends. Amakye Dede still plays shows because of the kind of songs he releases,” he added.

Adducing as his reason for his hope in comeback of timeless music is the fact that Bisa K Dei could pick an old highlife rhythm, use it on Brother Brother to be accepted by all manner of people. He urged radio DJs to pay attention to quality and timeless songs and promote them too.