Black Sherif risks losing his support base in the Nigerian music market following his support for the #PlayGhana initiative, Nigerian media personality Adesope Olajide has said.
He explained on Daybreak Hitz on Hitz FM, that some bloggers in his home country are unhappy about the young rap artiste’s support for the initiative that aimed at the consistent promotion of Ghanaian music throughout the country.
This comes after several artistes including Samini, Reggie Rockstone, DJ Mensah and Smallgod, at a press conference to outdoor the initiative, emphasized the crucial need to elevate Ghanaian music, emphasizing that the prevalent dominance of foreign music has hindered the industry’s growth.
Black Sherif, expressing solidarity, clarified that the initiative is not about blaming DJs, artistes, or consumers but aims for a united effort to champion Ghanaian music.
“You know, this is not a blame game. We are not blaming DJs. We are not blaming artistes. We are not blaming consumers. It’s a step in the right direction for us all, our music and our culture. So play Ghana. Blessings.”
Despite Black Sherif’s well-intentioned remarks, Adesope, also known as Shopsydoo, observed that blogs might target the artistes rather than established figures like Reggie Rockstone or Samini.
“Do you think you can say anything to Reggie Rockstone or Samini? No. They will go for the baby who really has just started his career, he is just building relationships, and they can tell that he is still wet behind the ears. Let’s target this one, he won’t be able to fight back’,” Adesope stated.
He noted that this can affect Black Sherif, who enjoys significant popularity in Nigeria and possesses a substantial fan base that values his music even more than some local artistes.
“So of course they will attack the popular person currently in that market, he didn’t say anything wrong,” the media personality noted.
Adesope however defended the call for prioritising Ghanaian music, especially during holidays when diasporas flock to the country.
He argued that promoting local content is crucial to shaping the perception of Ghanaian music abroad, as visitors take home what they hear, influencing the global reception of the country’s music scene.
“When we come here we take home whatever we hear. If local content is not promoted, then whatever we hear is what we are going to take to the UK and America,” he stated.
Source: Myjoyonline