Outspoken Ghana based Nigerian musician/actor, Eze known privately as Jonathan Eze Nwadinobi has spate ‘venom’ on Ghanaian dancehall artiste, Shatta Wale, says he is best in his own house.
Speaking to Rachel Engmann, he said he feels demeaned when he discloses to other colleague Nigerians that he’s ever featured Shatta Wale.
The hostess then told him that what he is doing will rather start a beef with Ghanaian musicians, but he answered, “Beef then have fish not only beef, are you trying to say that the way Shatta Wale goes about beefing people.”
He continued that “We are looking at international standard, we aren’t looking at BACKYARD standard which hasn’t crossed even AFLAO. I feel disappointed when I tell people in Nigerian that I featured Shatta Wale, they ask WHO IS SHATTA WALE? WHO IS SHATTA WALE.”
Eze emphasized the need for Ghanaian artistes to peg themselves to the International standard and not the local level.
The hostess then referred him to the numerous awards Shatta Wale has won both locally and globally but Eze retorted “he (Shatta Wale) is the best in his HOUSE… Shatta is the best in his house.”
When asked how many Dancehall artistes are there in Nigeria and why he’s on the case of Ghanaian musicians, he disclosed that Dancehall is not an African genre and the reason why he is lashing out at Ghanaian artistes is that he wants them to wake up.
“I want Ghanaian musicians to wake up, they are all sleeping and it is more like Sarkodie doing all the hits but still he isn’t known he is just within here… he hasn’t crossed Aflao yet so they have to wake up. Imagine Sarkodie featuring Kojo Antwi, is it not going to make sense to you…. All these young young boys jumping around”
Eze was asked why he is Ghana, and he answered that “I came to Ghana to make Hiplife and that was the music of Ghana. That is the combination of Highlife and Hiphop but is lost…we call it Hiplife. Reggie was actually the champion then but they lost trace of this music because it got to a point when everybody even the big boys, Kojo Antwi, Daddy Lumba and the others went their own.”
“I do my international music, I don’t do Ghanaian music, I do an African thing and everyone knows that. Ghanaian musicians should go back to Hiplife. When I came to Ghana I thought I have found Gold (Hiplife).”
In music circles, Eze was honored for his contribution towards the music and movie industry in Ghana, by the School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana.