Being A Musician In Ghana Is Not Financially Rewarding – Edem

Ayigbe Edem

Ghanaian rapper Edem has lamented that the country’s artistes are not doing well financially as compared to other artistes in the sub-region.Edem, born Denning Edem Hotor, said, “Talent is doing well, but I don’t think that financially, artistes in general are doing well compared to other artistes in the sub-region.” This, Edem says is one of the reasons some artistes boycott shows. 

“Artists who boycott shows these days feel they have gotten to a point where they have to be paid according to their value and their brand and I believe it is the right thing because if you build a brand, you push yourself to a certain level and you feel you deserve a certain remuneration, you should be given just like international acts are paid when they come here to perform,” he added. 

Comparing how much Ghanaian artistes and international acts are paid even for performing on the same stage, the rapper said, there was a time when Nigerian R&B duo P-Square were paid $90,000 to perform here in Ghana and he doesn’t think any Ghanaian artistes has been paid that amount of money ever. He said, “we can’t sit here and say any Nigerian artiste is bigger than artistes here in Ghana because at the end of the day it is talent so if you tell us that it’s because they are more international that’s why you pay them more, it doesn’t make.” 

The ‘Koene’ hitmaker took the opportunity to advise the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) to develop a rate that every Ghanaian artistes can charge. Asked if he would want to be president of MUSIGA someday, Edem who rose to fame with his first single ‘You Dey Craze’ said, “if I’m offered [the opportunity] to become MUSIGA president, I would like to serve and see if the things we complain about can change; see if I can also contribute to that change we are fighting for because nobody can do it for us.”