Dancehall artiste Stonebwoy won the award for Outstanding performance in music at the 2017 Coca Cola Youth Achiever Awards.
The awards scheme was instituted to celebrate 60 young Ghanaians doing exceptional and impactful works in entrepreneurship, community service and education.
Watch below a snippet of Stonebwoy’s performance at the event.
Making the history surrounding the emergence of an African legend was when in first year in Senior High School, Stonebwoy met up with a radio DJ/Presenter, Doctor Duncan who at the time was the host of KASAHARI, a real time rap battle programme. Out of that programme came the likes of Sakordie, Dr Cryme and many other relevant rappers in Ghana. More than 10 years ago and Stonebwoy recalls “I battled my way out every weekend without defeat till date. Music chose me, I didn’t choose music”.
His first radio hit, Makuma (My Heart) was released in second year at Senior High School plus several others that followed up later. By third year, he had amassed for himself a flaming underground popularity and went on to release another hit titled Empress which held him up years after leaving High School in 2007.
Thereafter, things happened in quick succession and Stonebwoy soon started work with S24 studios in 2008. He later joined Samini (one of Ghana’s revered dancehall artiste) and his HighGrade family and remained there until 2012, when he decided to put into practice all he had seen and learnt when he formed his own record label called Burniton Music Group (BMG).
Knowing the direction he was heading with his career, Stonebwoy worked day and night with his team to ensure that they achieved the best. Today, the result of hard work is certainly paying off for the young chap with collaborations with international acts from Africa, UK, Jamaica such as Jah Vinci, Trey Songz, Gappy Ranks, Randy Valentine, Sakordie, Wayne Wonder, Laza Morgan, Samini, Obrafour, Black Prophet, R2Bees, Patoranking, General Pype Stylogee, Burna Boy, Morgan Heritage, Chris Martin, I Octane, Kranium and many others.
With his electrifying and energetic performance, he has attracted a large fan base across the world having staged performances in UK, USA, Australia, Italy, Amsterdam and many more countries and sharing stage with acts such as Lauryn Hill, Alkaline, Busy Signal, Popcaan, Morgan Heritage and Wizkid.
Branding plays a very important role within the BMG group, and as a brand, Stonebwoy’s popular catchphrase – “BHIM!!!!!?(Bless His Imperial Majesty) – has been largely received and accepted, not just within Ghana and Africa, but in Europe too.