Stonebwoy slams culture of mediocrity in Ghana’s music industry

Dancehall star Stonebwoy has called out what he describes as a dangerous trend of celebrating mediocrity in Ghana’s music industry.

In a video shared on Instagram on May 29, 2025, the award-winning artist criticized the local showbiz culture, saying that constant negativity and a lack of genuine support are hindering the industry’s growth.

“As Ghanaians in the Ghanaian industry, there’s a need for a mental shift,” he said. “Celebrating a lot of mediocrity is one thing that is hurting our industry. If we want to progress, we have to do progressive things.”

The ‘Jejereje’ hitmaker stressed that many Ghanaians are too quick to tear others down instead of uplifting genuine achievements.

“We are not mentally changing to adapt to the things that will make progress possible,” he added.

Stonebwoy pointed to Nigerian artists as a model of unity and support. According to him, their collaborative spirit and positive narratives have helped position Afrobeats globally.

“Before any Nigerian artist in my time won a Grammy, the groundwork was already there,” he said. “You’d hear comments like, ‘If it wasn’t for Davido, Chris Brown wouldn’t have won a Grammy.’ I love that mindset. But here in Ghana, we create narratives that pull us back.”

He dubbed this trend the “P.H.D. syndrome – Pull Him Down” and suggested flipping it to “Pull Him There” to encourage progress.

Stonebwoy’s remarks come shortly after his second Artist of the Year win at the Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA), where he was interviewed by Berla Mundi on TV3.

His message is clear: Ghana’s entertainment industry needs less cynicism and more constructive support if it wants to thrive.