Veteran Radio DJ, James Kotey Neequaye, known as DJ Yellow Man of Peace FM, has added his voice to the debate going round that payola discourages underground musicians from promoting their music.
According to DJ Yellow Man, who has been in the business for over 14 years, every good DJ wants to play a good song to entertain his or her listeners.
He hinted, “all the top-ranking musicians don’t pay payola before their music is aired on radio. It’s only people who don’t produce good music who pay payola to influence the DJ to play his or her music on the radio.”
He, therefore, suggested that any artiste who has a good music should try and build a good relationship and not be discouraged by fears of payola.
Commenting on the recent comment made by Shatta Wale’s manager, Bull Dog, that anyone who pays a DJ or a presenter payola is a 'fool'; DJ Yellow Man said that he disagrees with Bull Dog because “even in advanced countries, international record labels pay payola to DJs and Presenters to promote their music on radio and television.”
“We have two different things, one is the DJ demanding for the money before going on air to play the song and the other is the artiste appreciating you for a good job done, or for playing his music. If an artiste appreciates a DJ for a job done, it doesn’t mean the artiste is a fool,” DJ Yellow man explained.
He advised young upcoming DJs to focus on the job and not put money before them. “You have to love what you are doing. You don’t have to do it because someone is doing it, and it attracts you, or because of the material things,” he advised.
DJ Yellow Man said that he got his name DJ Yellow Man during his school days when people called him as such and later, stuck with him till date.
Giving account of his school days, he said that he wanted to play in a band those days which didn’t work out, so he started playing as a mobile DJ; where he played for some few groups like Amazing Sounds, Grove Sounds, Classic Sounds, and others before entering into radio.
