Entertainment commentator Enock Agyepong has raised questions about whether dancehall star Stonebwoy feels sidelined within Ghana’s music industry, arguing that some of the isolation the artiste may be experiencing could be linked to his own past actions.
According to Mr Agyepong, Stonebwoy’s recent attacks on Sarkodie, Shatta Wale and, indirectly, Smoke, appear to reveal frustrations that the artiste may have been harbouring for some time.
He pointed to several instances where artistes have appeared on one another’s stages, including Shatta Wale and Sarkodie, as well as Sarkodie and Medikal, while Stonebwoy was seemingly absent from some of these collaborations.
Mr Agyepong believes the situation became more noticeable when Shatta Wale and Sarkodie appeared on Smoke’s stage, without Stonebwoy being part of the moment.
He argues that Stonebwoy may have contributed to the distance between himself and some of his colleagues, citing previous incidents involving Shatta Wale and Sarkodie’s manager, Angel.
“You cannot arrest Shatta’s fans and expect to appear on his stage. You can’t slap Sark’s manager Angel and expect to appear on his stage,” Agyepong stated.
He further accused Stonebwoy of sometimes throwing subtle jabs at his colleagues instead of publicly supporting them. He referenced Stonebwoy’s “historic” tweet around the time Sarkodie was holding his stadium concert, as well as comments about “quarter stadium” that followed.
According to him, Stonebwoy now appears to expect his colleagues to celebrate his international achievements, including his OVO show, while some of his own past comments toward fellow artistes may have contributed to tensions.
For Mr Agyepong, the issue is therefore not necessarily about the various fanbases but rather about the relationships between the artistes themselves.
He believes Stonebwoy has two choices: work toward resolving the issues with his colleagues or continue on his current path while embracing the biblical saying, “the stone which the builders rejected shall become the chief cornerstone.”
The comments have added another dimension to the ongoing conversations surrounding relationships, competition and unity among Ghana’s biggest music stars.