I’ve never paid payola in my music career – Ex Doe

The payment of payola by artistes is a phenomenon that is very common in the music industry but veteran hiplife artiste, Ex Doe known privately as Richard Kwasi Siaw Akrofi claims he has never paid a dime to radio presenters or DJs for his songs to be played.

In an interview on ‘Pae Mu Ka’, a segment on Kasapa Entertainment, the ‘Gogo wo ho’ hitmaker disclosed that his means of promoting his songs was by a radio tour.

He noted that the reason why those reputable DJs and Presenters never requested for penny from him was because they respected his brand.

“The DJs and presenters never asked for money from me but always played my songs because they respect the brand and know that what they get in return is a good thing.”

He further explained that what he does is to show appreciation, not necessarily for them to play his music but a way of commending them.

“When they do the job there’s an appreciation and that is what we know from the beginning and that is not ‘Payola’. From the beginning Fiifi Pratt, Kofi Dickson, Kwame Sefa Kayi, Fiifi Banson, Benjy Kumasa, Doreen Andoh, Cox Tamkloe, Charley Sam, Nana Yaw Tenkorang and others saw Precise Music, Yakabams Production or Kaakyire Music as the most prestigious music brands and they all had a book that we show appreciation to them but it wasn’t payola for them to play our songs, they play before they get.”

According to Ex-Doe, the kind of attitude that retards Ghanaian music is where musicians of this generation do substandard songs and yet have money to sort out presenters and DJs to play their songs, leaving artistes doing better songs without money to pay feel inferior because their good songs are not played.

“When you ask me for Payola I can clearly see that you’re not ready for the business. I perceive such presenters and DJs as those who attended ROADSIDE MEDIA SCHOOLS.

“Because all those who play my songs don’t think of payola, they are all serious people and business minded. The ‘Payo’ that they ask for shouldn’t be ‘Payo’ but should be an appreciation.”

Payola, in the music industry, is the illegal practice of payment or other inducement by record companies or artistes for the broadcast of recordings on commercial radio in which the song is presented as being part of the normal day’s broadcast.

According to him, his basis for his long music break was to focus on his business but promised a forever stay in the industry.

Ex-Doe hinted that in the olden days, artistes had the music profession at heart and was never in for too much money as seen today.

He noted that during his reign, his highest payment for show was sixty Ghana Cedis (GH¢60.00) (¢600,000 old currency) and within his 20 years as a musician has taken five thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢5,000.00) as his highest money to perform on a show.

Ex-Doe disappeared from the hiplife scene for a long time and then resurfaced featuring on Tic Tac’s hit, ‘Beware of dogs’.