Ghanaian rapper, Samuel Adu Frimpong, known in the showbiz circles as Medikal says the country’s music industry continues to struggle with unity, a situation he believes is slowing down its growth despite some progress over the years.
Appearing on Metro TV’s flagship Good Evening Ghana show with Paul Adom-Otchere, the artiste said while the industry has improved compared to previous years, internal divisions remain a major setback.
“I feel like the Ghana industry is still struggling… we are better than we used to be, but the unity is not there like that,” he said.
Medikal pointed to what he described as unnecessary and negative competition among players in the industry.
“I think there’s too much competition… sometimes the competition you don’t need,” he noted.
He explained that instead of supporting each other’s growth, some industry players focus on discrediting others, which weakens collective progress.
“We’ll be like crabs in a bucket… one person goes up, we pull the person down,” he said.
The Beyond Kontrol boss cited his own journey as an example, recalling how he faced public ridicule after missing out on awards despite multiple nominations early in his career.
“I was nominated like seven times… and I won none. I went home with zero awards,” he said. “You go on social media and they’re laughing at you.”
He added that even at a stage where he believes he has earned recognition, some individuals still attempt to undermine his work.
“Some people try to discredit my work or my album… and I will feel some type of way about it,” he stated.
Medikal stressed that the industry can only thrive if artistes and stakeholders support one another rather than compete destructively.
“If we are united… we push this one, make he go up, we help this one push this one, there’s no way we all won’t get to the top,” he said.
However, he admitted that change cannot come from one person alone.
“One man can’t change the world… we all need to do it together.”
Beyond internal issues, Medikal also suggested that some decision-makers lack a clear understanding of how the music business operates.
“Most of the people, especially the government, don’t really comprehend how our industry works,” he said, adding that better awareness could lead to stronger support systems for artistes.
