Fiifi Selah, a member of the famous music group TH 4 Kwages, recently claimed that reggae-dancehall artist Samini and Shatta Wale adopted his style of singing and owed their initial success to his influence.
TH 4 Kwages, formerly known as Sass Squad, gained popularity in the late ’90s for hit songs such as ‘Nana Esi,’ ‘Kwakyemu,’ ‘Menya Obaa Fefe,’ ‘Serwaa,’ and ‘Wongye,’ among others.
Fiifi Selah asserted that both Samini and Shatta Wale drew inspiration from his music when creating their early hit songs, which helped establish their careers in the music industry. During an interview with Joy Prime on Friday, March 15, he stated, “Samini copied me. He listened to my music to write his ‘Linda’ song. Shatta Wale also listened to one of my Sass Squad songs to become Shatta Wale. They all came from me.”
Fiifi Selah emphasized his role as a trailblazer in the reggae-dancehall genre, suggesting that all artists in the genre have followed his lead. He also recounted how he actively promoted reggae-dancehall music during his tenure hosting a radio show, which aided in elevating the genre’s prominence in Ghana.
“During my time, reggae-dancehall music became very popular in Ghana,” he commented. Fiifi Selah believes that his style of rapping is distinctive and difficult to replicate, with only Sarkodie being able to match his flow. “No one can rap like me; only Sarkodie can do it because my rap is hard to master,” he confidently claimed.
Fiifi Selah expressed pride in the influence his music has had on other artists such as Kofi Kinaata, Ayesem and many more despite his assertive claims.
Story by Obaapa Janee
