Feature: Stonebwoy’s needless press release, Okraku Mantey’s goof & Zylofon’s imprudence

Ass-lickers, Boot-lickers, Haters,Whatever!

Our entertainment industry is an interesting one; if you talk or remain silent, you would be tagged and even when you still express an opinion in a bid to remain neutral, you still get branded. A confused bunch we are!

In the last couple of months, Zylofon Media has dominated the headlines and commandeered the incessant chatter within the industry – for all the positive and negative reasons – and showbiz fanatics seem to have created some form of a checklist on which industry persons are ‘ass-lickers’, ‘boot-lickers’ and the genuine ones; those who speak their minds without any inhibitions.

There’s also the talk of Zylofon personnel marking commentators as ‘haters’ and detractors whenever such persons spew anything not in support of the firm.

I have been branded an ‘ass-licker’, ‘bootlicker’ by some persons who feel awkward about my seeming support for the Creative Arts Company and I have also been branded a detractor by some personnel of the Company who have felt uncomfortable about posts and stories done that they feel do not benefit the Company. It’s now a given that I can’t win on both fronts so, I will continue to express my opinion as and when I deem it fit.

If you have issues with my posts or perceived allegiance (s) to whoever, that is your problem and as I am about to express my opinion on three (3) different issues – feel free to tag and oh, you can also feel free to hug a transformer, go on, hug it!

Here we go;

Stonebwoy’s press release needless

I won’t even go into the supposed altercation between Stonebwoy and Zylofon Music – it’s been played out. My concern lies with the release issued by Burniton Music Group today – which is fraught with such incongruity.

Firstly, the artist and his handlers reported the incident to the Police and the last time we checked, the case is under investigation – so, it makes the press release calling for action to be taken over the occurrence, pointless.

Secondly, the CEO of the label, Nana Appiah Mensah, has in the spate of hours, issued two resounding statements; one, pleading with well-wishers of Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale, another Zylofon-recording artist, to remain calm and let peace reign and another, apologizing to Stonebwoy for the unfortunate situation.

If Stonebwoy and his posse are really interested in peace, they would have also apologized for the part they played in the infamous tussle and also supported the Zylofon CEO in his call for tranquility.

By that release, there’s indication that Stonebwoy and his group are in no mood to make amends with the label and that comes across as infantile and an exhibition of the artist not being a true professional.

Record labels and their artists fight and sever ties all the time; this is not new and won’t be the last, but there has always been a way around it. If you are not happy, leave! Sit down with your lawyers and figure out a way you can exit the label without all the chaos.

Mark Okraku Mantey’s goof

My big brother, Mark Okraku Mantey, was on Joy FM over the weekend, questioning Ghanaians’ appetite for news and discussions relating to Zylofon. He also sought answers to what the signed artistes have been able to achieve since joining Zylofon Media.

“For me, some of the questions I would want to ask..all of us…are we not tired of Zylofon or discussing Zylofon?” he quizzed .

Mark’s commentary is totally misplaced and quite illogical.

There’s time for everything and he should just accept the fact that, it is the time for Zylofon and it isbetter if he braces himself for a long haul, because, these guys maybe here for forever and would dominate the news.

In the early 2000s, the label that dominated the headlines was Slip Music – with chart-topping songs, awards and various misunderstandings between Mark, the CEO and his artists. We accepted, endured and survived the era without much complaint. We didn’t die and we won’t die over Zylofon too!

Check the history of American music; Berry Gordy’s Motown Records dominated the conversation in the 1950- 1970 ear and between 1992-1995, Suge Knight’s Death Row Records was the most-talked-about. America didn’t collapse!

Most critically, this same Zylofon Music that my big brother is asking if we are tired over – is said to be collaborating with the government and the Ministry of the Tourism, Arts & Culture over various projects with the Minister paying a courtesy call on the CEO of Zylofon just a month ago. And oh, Mr. Okraku Mantey is the President of the Creative Arts Council, a unit under the Ministry – munch on that!

I won’t expend time and energy to explain to him the achievements of the label and the signed artists after they signed. All he has to do is do a thorough check and he would get the answers!

Zylofon’s imprudence

In all the issues hovering around Zylofon, there seems to be some lack of control at the firm; no coordination and no communication within. The current issue about a high-profile official at the firm stating, posting or re-posting an epistle about how the company spent millions of dollars with Becca’s ‘Unveiled’ music concert last year, exacerbates the call, whether true or misplaced, by many about personnel at the firm being incompetent and not having the interest of the firm at heart.

It is quite befuddling to realize how keen the CEO of the firm is, in ensuring that, there’s some calmness to this whole muddle, yet, some personnel are thwarting such effort by being outlandish, immature and flippant in their actions – derailing all the good PR that he’s been doing in the last couple of hours.

At this stage, it is prudent for some alignment in the actions of all the personnel at Zylofon, because the level of scrutiny is quite intense, so they should order their steps well and ensure that there’s a solid communication and coordination among them.

They can do away with the unnecessary posting and remarks that only worsen a dicey situation instead of repairing it!