‘Bob Marley, Michael Jackson would've struggled to shine in this era’ – Perez Musik

Gospel musician Perez Musik has argued that legends like Bob Marley and Michael Jackson would have struggled to shine in today’s music industry, where artistes are judged by hit songs, streaming numbers and viral moments rather than the depth and impact of music.

According to him, the modern music landscape has shifted focus from storytelling and meaningful bodies of work to the pursuit of commercially successful singles.

Speaking in an interview on Hitz FM on July 20, 2026, Perez Musik argued that while technology has changed how music is distributed and consumed, the industry must find ways to preserve the value of music beyond numbers and trends.

He noted that the era of physical music sales through CDs and cassettes may not return, but there should be systems that encourage listeners to appreciate the full works of artistes rather than focusing only on popular songs.

Perez Musik observed that some artistes are now moving away from traditional distribution methods and choosing to host their music on personal websites.

'Hunger is stopping the youth from worshipping God' – Perez Musik

“I think there is more that we should be able to do. We might not be able to go back to the CD or cassette era, but there should be something. Now I’ve noticed a trend, most artistes are actually not distributing their songs again. They put it on their websites. You know, they have their songs on their websites,” he said.

The gospel musician explained that, for him, music is not about entertainment but a platform to communicate messages and influence lives.

He described himself as a messenger whose responsibility goes beyond creating songs that people can casually enjoy.

“As an artiste, let me confess, I don’t want you to just simply vibe to the songs. I feel like I have a message. I see myself like a messenger,” Perez Musik stated.

He believes that if artistes like Bob Marley and Michael Jackson were creating music in today’s era, they might have struggled to receive the same level of appreciation because audiences are drawn to instant hits rather than a complete body of work.

“If Bob Marley were in this era, he would have really struggled to shine. It’s the same with Michael Jackson. If they were in this era, nobody would listen to the albums. They are looking for hits. Don’t listen to ‘Billie Jean’ and forget about the other songs. Maybe nobody would have even heard what ‘Redemption Song’ was, because it was just a guitar and his voice,” he added.

Perez Musik stressed that the value of music should not be measured only by streaming numbers, chart positions or online popularity.

Sharing the impact music can have on individuals, Perez Musik revealed that some listeners have reached out to him about how his songs helped them during difficult moments in their lives.

“I feel like musicians have more to offer. They have more to offer than just the streams, than just the numbers that people are counting. It goes beyond that. Music can heal. Music can deliver.

“There are people who have told me that they were on the verge of going to commit suicide and they listened to my song. But I think there are other songs apart from mine that also affect people. Music has saved people’s marriages. So we shouldn’t cheapen the art,” he added.

If Bob Marley were in this era, he would have struggled to shine — @perezmusik233 #DaybreakHitz pic.twitter.com/3MzxQwekM0

— Hitz 103.9 FM (@Hitz1039FM) July 20, 2026