#BehindTheHitz challenge is useless if you’re not making money - Shatta Wale

Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale is wondering why people, including producers, are excited about the #BehindTheHitz challenge when there is no money to be made from it.

The controversial artiste believes that the challenge, which has got social media buzzing for some days now, is an exercise in futility since there is no financial benefit in it.

“Well I am excited about this but you know Shatta is the type that will just barge in and ask them is there business in this if there is no business in this I don’t think people should be excited about this…it’s fun, it’s entertainment but then there should be something going on around it…because these things it kills careers so we have to be very careful,” he told MzGee in an interview on Showbiz 927 on 3FM.

Renowned producers Appietus and Jay Q last week Wednesday took to social media in a live session to celebrate their works from the past.

Dubbed #BehindTheHitz, the trend has triggered a social media buzz which has seen rapper Sarkodie invite Zapp Mallet, Jay Q, Appietus, Kaywa, Hammer, and MoG to join the challenge.

That invitation, unfortunately, did not go down well with Zapp Mallet, who took a swipe at Sarkodie for pairing him with producers he deemed as not his co-equal.

Apart from Appietus and Jay Q, the challenge has so far seen several renowned producers, including Richie faceoff with KillBeatz, Kaywa challenge JMJ, DJ Breezy vrs Streatbeatz, MOG Beatz battle Master Garzy, and others.

Commenting further on #BehindTheHitz challenge, Shatta Wale advised that there should always be a business strategy to the things people do in the entertainment industry.

He explained that “…everything has to be with a strategy with a certain mindset. I can’t just do certain things and feel like because its entertainment, because as I am talking to you I have told you how much I have pumped into this thing [Faith Concert] so if business is not coming out of it, why am I pushing myself…” because even though the concert is for charity, he knows where he will reap returns from in the future.

Due to this, the ‘Mahama Paper’ bragged, “that’s why sometimes people need to contact me so I can lecture them on how to do business when it comes to entertainment.”

Shatta Wale could not fathom why Appietus and Jay Q would just go head to head on social media with no financial benefit. “…these are great men we have in Ghana.”

He strongly believed that legendary sound engineer Zapp Mallet was right when he tweeted that he had been disrespected.

“Imagine Zapp Mallet getting a call ‘oh Zapp your cheque is… can you be on Instagram for an hour or two,” the celebrated producer, the dancehall artiste noted, would have agreed.

Shatta Wale observed that people do not know what business dealings might have gone in behind the scenes for someone like Swizz Beatz to start the challenge globally.

He further stressed that he will not agree to go on Instagram to battle any artiste if there is no financial benefit.