Ghanaian dancehall artist Shatta Wale has challenged his colleague Stonebwoy to meet him at the Accra Sports Stadium for a showdown to determine who truly reigns supreme in the dancehall scene.
In a post shared on social media, Shatta Wale said if Stonebwoy refuses the challenge, he should be considered a reggae artist rather than a dancehall one.
This call by Shatta Wale follows a week of taunting Stonebwoy over his request to be recognised in an article discussing the pioneers of hiplife in Ghana.
His challenge, posted on social media, reads: “I am issuing a formal challenge to @stonebwoy and his fans to meet me at the Accra Sports Stadium to resolve the ‘Dancehall King’ title dispute. If he and his fans decline this invitation, he should refrain from identifying as a dancehall artiste, as I consider him a reggae artiste.
“I assure the nation’s leaders that this will be a structured and healthy competition. Interested sponsors can contact our management teams.”
The Recording Academy, in an article published about Ghanaian music, mentioned Ghanaian artists like Root Eye, Samini and Shatta Wale as pioneers of dancehall music in Ghana.
The publication said, “While Gyedu-Blay Ambolley is considered one of the earliest rappers, as demonstrated on his 1973 song “Simigwa-Do,” the term “hiplife” was only coined in the late 1990s by genre pioneer Reggie Rockstone.”
“Still, American hip-hop had arrived in the Ghanaian capital of Accra by the early ’90s and local rappers began to release their own music soon after.
“Duo Talking Drum were among this early cohort, and their single “Aden” was an underground hit in 1993,” the publication continued.
The article emphasised that “as a movement and culture, hiplife is also an identity, created to encourage people to be daring in their exploration of sound.
Pioneering hiplife artists like Root Eye Samini and Shatta Wale (then known as Bandana) fused dancehall and highlife in the early 2000s to make music which could connect with local audiences.”
The omission of Stonebwoy’s name has triggered a reaction from him. Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), he said, “Whoever wrote this article is interestingly missing THE NAME @stonebwoy RecordingAcad. Do Due Diligence before you publish half-dozed articles aiming to capture the true image of the State of the Ghanaian Sound.”
