Dancehall artiste, Epixode has revealed that he is very open to doing campaign songs for any political party that approaches him.
According to the musician, he will not hesitate to make such an offer despite the contradictory nature of Ghanaian politics.
“I am willing to compose a song for a political party to support a worthy cause, but I will not align with any specific party for campaigning purposes,” Epixode declared.
The key for him, though, is the message of the campaign song.
Epixode indicated that he would not want to be part of any campaign that would inspire hope in the campaigning period but end up disappointing the Ghanaian people.
The dancehall artist is concerned about how divisive the country is, making it difficult for artists to express their views on relevant issues bothering the country.
He revealed that some of his creative industry colleagues are accused of expressing their opinions on national policies.
The 2021 Reggae and Dancehall Artiste of the Year further added that there are relevant issues, such as climate change and environmental pollution that are troubling the world and need equal attention.
The artiste mentioned that pursuing music and fine art is a rewarding venture that he never regrets entering.
“Both music and fine art have been fulfilling pursuits that have enriched my life,” he said.
He, however, revealed that he does not have the business insight to handle transactions, hence the need to delegate that to a trusted team.
Also, he mentioned that he is not looking at the monetary side of music and art but rather the impact his songs have on his listeners.
Artist Discloses How Dancehall Musicians Thrive
Ghanaian reggae dancehall artiste, Epixode, born Theophilus Nii Arday, disclosed that the dancehall music culture thrives on clashes and rivalries between dancehall musicians.
According to him, the dancehall culture was built on the clashes between various artists over the years.
The dancehall artist explained that the numbers are built from the rivalries between dancehall artists. He believes that artists draw more attention to their music when they throw shade at other artists in the lyrics of their songs. As per his statement, fans become interested in the artist and are excited to patronize their music.
“Numbers are built on that, because the very moment I release a song that is trolling or is actually pointing fingers at another artist, it will pull attention, and that will generate the numbers, and then people will now go and look for my older tunes,” he explained.
Epixode feels as though feuds between dance hall artists are used for their benefit.
Using the rivalry between popular dancehall artists Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy as an example, he revealed how it caused Shatta Wale to be the brand ambassador for the phone brand Infinix and for Stonebwoy to be the brand ambassador for its competing brand Tecno.
The ‘Odeshi’ hitmaker encourages everyone to look at the positive side of the rivalries between dancehall artists. He feels fans just need to have a mere understanding of the dancehall culture and to see their fights not as physical fights but as what he describes as ‘ musical fights’.
Epixode believes that clashes and rivalries between dancehall artists are just what the dancehall culture needs to survive.
“I think it’s only right if we understand the culture itself and then look at the positive side of it. Yes, the fans might fight, but how are you trying to educate them on that level? It’s only lyrics; it’s not a fight; it’s not like a physical fight; it’s just a musical fight; it’s something to build the culture. If it hadn’t been for the clash, I don’t think Dancehall could even survive two years,” he noted.
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