Renowned Ghanaian Reggae/Dancehall artiste, Samini, has lambasted colleague Shatta Wale for comments he made after the “Play Ghana” initiative was launched by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture.

Shatta Wale took to his Twitter handle on December 17 in reaction to the initiative, which was pushed by some major industry stakeholders, including Samini, Black Sherif, and Reggie Rockstone.

In a mocking tone, Shatta Wale insisted that the initiative was not feasible. According to him, foreign music, no matter how little, would overshadow Ghanaian music. He added that the initiative was coming from a place of poverty and jealousy.

In a turn of events, Samini fired back at Shatta over his comments. In a reply to Shatta Wale’s tweet, Samini acknowledged that Ghana has become a go-to place in recent times and inquired if there was anything wrong with artistes advocating for more local content.

He accused Shatta Wale of trying to downplay the initiative because he wasn’t involved in it.

“Bro Lol. Ghana has become a spotlight over the last few years and this is not ending anytime soon. What’s wrong with creatives appealing for more local content on our airwaves? Who does this hurt? So if it’s not your suggestion then it’s nonsense eeh lol. Shut up I beg,” he said.

On December 14, the Ministry of Information organized a stakeholder engagement that aimed to gather insights from creatives and other players in the creative space for the promotion of the #playghana initiative.

The initiative, however, led to mixed reactions from industry stakeholders. Many praised the initiative while others rubbished it.

Check the tweet below

Bro Lol. Ghana has become a spotlight over the last few years and this is not ending anytime soon. What’s wrong with creatives appealing for more local content on our airwaves? Who does this hurt? So if it’s not your suggestion then it’s nonsense eeh lol. Shut up I beg… https://t.co/y6NQJcOLNJ

— SAMINI (@samini_dagaati) December 18, 2023