5 biggest artiste beefs in Ghana
The Ghana music industry has come a very long way. From the days when highlife used to be like our national anthem to hiplife and now to the dominant dancehall genre.
However, one thing that has kept the industry going is undoubtedly the high level of competition between artistes.
Fortunately or unfortunately, excessive competition may sometimes bring about friction, and that is exactly what has been happening in the Ghana music industry.
There have been “beefs” among artistes, but while some die out in no time, others stand the test of time due to the eternal rivalry between the artistes involved.
Whichever way you look at it, "beefs" are sometimes good and they make the industry more vibrant to music lovers and fans.
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Here are five of the biggest artiste beefs in Ghana.
1. Daddy Lumba vs Nana Acheampong
Many music lovers in this generation may not know much about this beef, but the rivalry between Daddy Lumba and Nana Acheampong is one of the biggest Ghana has ever seen.
Both men command legendary status when it comes to highlife music, but for so long aimed sly digs at each other in their lyrics.
The story behind their rivalry is still not clear, but rumours suggest that Daddy Lumba refused to give Nana Acheampong his share of some money they both worked for. And there has since been a strange relationship between the two.
2. Chicago vs Ex Doe
The late 1990s and early 2000s was a period when rap music was dominant in Ghana. At the forefront of that movement were rappers Chicago and Ex-Doe who were initially good friends until a misunderstanding brought about what is now known as one of the biggest beefs to ever hit the Ghana music industry.
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In 1996 both artistes collaborated to bring out a song titled “Daavi Mede Kuku” which was at the time a very major hit on radio.
However, the rift came about after both artistes laid claim to the ownership of the song. It became even more intense with both Chicago and Ex Doe recording diss songs about each other.
3. Lord Kenya vs Obrafuor
Age has showed the matured side of both Lord Kenya and Obrafuor in recent times, however, that was not the case some years back.
During the early 2000s, music fans in Ghana were divided on who the best rapper in Ghana was. Obrafour and Lord Kenya were on top of their game by then. And their rivalry soon started after the former recorded a song which had in the lyrics a line that goes like: “Rap Heavy weigh champion, metua town”.
Lord Kenya did not take it lightly with Obrafuor and it subsequently degenerated into a beef.
4. Shatta Wale vs Samini
Perhaps the most interesting beef to ever hit the Ghana music industry. Both Shatta Wale and Samini have never openly declared any beef between themselves but the fact is that their rivalry cannot be understated.
It all started when the acclaim for who the best dancehall artiste in the country came about. For Shatta Wale, he is the dancehall king, while Samini also prides himself as the African dancehall king.
It has since grown to become a huge beef, with fans of both artistes having a go at each other on social media and at events. The dis songs have also been plenty, with Shatta Wale especially using all sorts of unprintable words to describe Samini.
Their beef, though, has cooled in recent years with both dancehall musicians smoking the peace pipe.
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5. M.anifest vs Sarkodie
This would easily qualify as the most recent beef in the Ghana music industry. Rappers M.anifest and Sarkodie brought the country to a standstill after going head-to-head in mid-2016.
The beef started after Sarkodie took a swipe at most of his fellow rappers in his “bossy” track. However, M.anifest decided to respond by coming up with his own song titled “God MC”. He did not mention any names but in one of his lines asked Sarkodie who he can boss “when the boss himself is around”.
Sarkodie also responded in equal measure with “Kanta’ tearing into M.anifest’s style of dressing and his global music reach. Though their beef has since toned down, fans of both musicians are still in debate over who the better rapper is.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
