It is quite ironic that the debate on who represents the best dancehall artiste in Ghana has emerged at this time when the first-ever awards scheme for dancehall/reggae music is on.
Interestingly, the banter on who is �King� of the dancehall genre stirred up after some recognized artistes started their self-glorification of that accolade in their songs.
One artiste claims he is the �King of African Dancehall�, some other gloats that he is the �King of Ghana dancehall� and another bellows that he is the �Best in Ghana dancehall�.
Such self-aggrandizement is very much allowed in music. As an artiste, you can call yourself whatever you want and push that assertion into the minds of the fans.
Here, we shall put all that self-glorification in the bin and attempt to name the �Dancehall King� in Ghana based on industry-tested criteria such as originality, longevity, relevance, awards, impact on culture, consistency, stage presence and influence on the industry.
Heavily-inspired by the likes of Shabba Ranks, Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Shaggy and the many other Jamaican greats, dancehall has cemented its place as a strong and revered genre in Ghanaian music.
Over the years, an array of fairly good artistes have graced the genre in Ghana: Root I, General Marcus, Abrewanana, Sammy B, Yoggy Doggy, Madfish, Samini, Soni Bali, Screwface, Bandana, Natural Face, Stonebwouy, Jupiter, Kaakie and Atumpan. At the end of the day, however, only one of them deserves the accolade of �King of Dancehall�.
The �King� must possess some originality that attribute which makes the artiste and his music distinct and stand out from the pack. It is that trait which easily makes the artiste identifiable and as an artiste, you know you are original when one hears your song and exclaims �Oh, that is Elephant Man� instead of saying, �Oh, he sounds like Elephant Man.�
<<Print>>