Music Producer and Sound Engineer, David Kojo Kyei, popularly known as Kaywa, has spoken out for the first time about the end of his professional relationship with singer Lasmid, following the artist’s win in the MTN Hitmaker competition.
Kaywa said he signed Lasmid on a one-year contract immediately after the show. He noted that the young artist was enthusiastic and fully committed to his music career in the early days.
“We did one year when he won MTN Hitmaker. MTN gave him to me. We did a one-year contract, and after the contract had finished and he was always in the studio when his time had expired. He was consistently there. I took care of him, fed him. And he said I should put him back on the label.”
Kaywa
According to the music producer, he planned to reinvest in Lasmid and had even recorded six songs with him ahead of a possible return to the label.
However, he revealed that other artists on Highly Spiritual Music were uncomfortable with the idea of Lasmid rejoining the label because they thought the label did not have enough money to cater to all of them.
Despite the internal friction, Kaywa said he continued to believe in Lasmid’s talent and potential.
In a separate interview, Lasmid described Kaywa as “my godfather” and added that “we are cool.”
Lasmid declined to comment when he was asked whether he had access to his songs, indicating that it was a matter best addressed by his management.
Lasmid has since moved on and is currently collaborating with Nigerian artist TML on an EP titled ‘Sweet Songs for You’.
Kaywa Reveals Jennifer Lomotey Saga Settlement
The renowned Ghanaian music producer shared new details about the controversy surrounding the 2017 hit song ‘Jennifer Lomotey’.
The song’s success was nearly overshadowed by backlash over a tribal reference in Sarkodie’s verse. While many assumed it was just a lyrical blunder, Kaywa revealed it was far more serious.
The producer recounted that the track was originally titled ‘Crazy Baby’, but was renamed after Sarkodie freestyled the now-famous “Jennifer Lomotey” line.
The verse sparked outrage among the Krobo community, with a youth group, Kloma Hengme, threatening legal action against Sarkodie, Kaywa, and singer Kurl Songx.
“They actually sent us a notice through their lawyers,” Kaywa confirmed, explaining that the group demanded an apology, a re-edit of the song, a media ban on airplay, and GH₵2 million compensation to the Krobo people.
According to the music producer, neither he nor Sarkodie anticipated that the line would cause offense—they believed it was just a vibe.
However, the controversy escalated, prompting a series of meetings with chiefs, legal representatives, and other concerned parties.
The conclusion was that the song had to be pulled down—a task nearly impossible at the time, as it had already saturated the airwaves and was blasting from speakers across the country.
Faced with mounting pressure, the music producer disclosed that they re-recorded a version of the song without the tribal reference, but it was never widely released.
The reason, he explained, was that Sarkodie felt changing the line would distort the original vibe of the track. Instead, they agreed to clarify the intent behind the lyrics during interviews to ease public tension.
To Kaywa, the incident served as a learning moment, highlighting the importance of cultural sensitivity and thorough review before releasing music.
Despite the controversy, ‘Jennifer Lomotey’ remains one of the most talked-about collaborations between Kaywa and Sarkodie.
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