For how long, Shatta Wale?

I have not met Bandana one-on-one before but for many years, I have been an unspoken fan and an admirer of his songs. I see him as a very talented and creative artiste.

Currently, the name Shatta Wale has come into season. Now many people are saying Shatta Wale this, Wale that. If his name is not being mentioned as an arrogant dancehall artiste, he is being mentioned as the artiste with the biggest song in Ghana at the moment.

The name Shatta Wale has become a daily thing. Many of his fans regularly chant his slogan, SM4Lyf (Shatta Movement 4 Life). Whenever one mentions “Shatta Movement”, the sure response is “SM4Lyf”. Whenever I hear his name being mentioned or screamed, all I say is that indeed Shatta Wale has come a long way and his hard work is paying off.

Before the last edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, Shatta Wale was just a nominee in the Reggae/Dancehall category with his song Shatta City which until then wasn’t well known by many Ghanaians.

He was an artiste who went into oblivion after managing to get a hit song Moko Hoo (“Bandana from Ghana”) many years back. Having changed his name from Bandana to his present name Shatta Wale, he appears to be a totally different artiste now as compared to when he started. Now he tilts towards gangster behaviour.

After the awards, he became the public’s number one enemy because of the way he chose to vent his spleen on the eventual winner and the organisers. He climaxed it all with an insulting song about the awards. Indeed his strong and insulting words against Kaakie were met with proper answers from people in the industry.

Some people have been of the notion that, using those bad words against Kaakie was a way for him to get some attention and cheap publicity. This, I beg to differ.

At an award show, not everyone will win, due to that many artistes over the years have one way or the other got infuriated about the fact that they didn’t win in categories they were nominated. To show their displeasure, some of them then subjected the organisers to all sorts of criticisms but Shatta Wale’s was very extreme.

Two months after the awards, the man once vilified has become virtually everyone’s favourite. How interesting! Shatta Wale is now living the dream. His grand entrance to the forecourt of the Conference Centre for the third edition of the Ghana Meets Naija still lingers on my mind. I happened to be outside at the main gate as he made his way into the events grounds with his entourage.

I have seen various artistes go to events with their followers but Shatta Wale’s was like the way President Mahama would make an entry at an event. I’m not exaggerating. His entourage did not ride in the V8s and the Range Rovers but I didn’t see any difference whatsoever. Perhaps the only thing missing were police sirens.

What could make the once vilified chap suddenly turn a darling boy of the people? Could it be his gangster lifestyle? Whatever it is, Shatta Wale is reaping considerable booty. But for how long will he be able to sustain this? I am afraid for him and I believe he needs a serious minded person to manage him.

Sometimes being arrogant is not all that bad, after all when you give the masses what they want, they do not really care about your arrogance, and they focus on what you have in there which is making them forget about their troubles and sorrows.