Former SM Militant member Joint 77 has recounted what he describes as a betrayal of trust by dancehall artiste Shatta Wale, particularly over the artiste’s collaboration with global music star Beyoncé.

Speaking in an interview on Max TV, shared on X on September 28, 2026, Joint 77 claimed that Shatta Wale failed to inform him or other members of the group about his trip to shoot a music video with Beyoncé, despite their close relationship at the time.

According to Joint 77, he was with Shatta Wale on the day the artiste travelled and even shared a meal with him shortly before his departure.

He alleged that Shatta Wale did not disclose the actual purpose of the trip and only informed him about the music video shoot after he had already travelled and encountered difficulties.

“I was with him like the other guys were there when he was going to shoot a video with Beyoncé. I was eating with him like this at the same table. He left that evening without telling anybody anything,” Joint 77 said.

He further claimed that members of the crew were unaware of the trip because Shatta Wale allegedly believed they might interfere with or spoil the work.

“Nobody in the crew knew because he thought we were wizards and would want to spoil his work. He went there alone to face the consequences before he called me, telling me a whole lot,” he added.

Joint 77 said the incident made him feel that his love and trust for Shatta Wale had been taken for granted.

He also alleged that Shatta Wale would sometimes perform songs they had recorded together without inviting the group to his events.

“I moved because the way I held Shatta Wale, he wasn’t able to help us. Even travelling alone with the Militant to perform was a problem for him. He goes alone to perform ‘Taking Over’. He performs all of our songs, our verses. When he’s going, sometimes he will not even tell you,” Joint 77 stated.

The comments highlight the grievances Joint 77 says contributed to his decision to distance himself from Shatta Wale and the SM Militant group.

The family of late highlife icon Daddy Lumba has commemorated what would have been his 62nd birthday with a charitable gesture at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

On Tuesday, September 29, Daddy Lumba’s wife, Odo Broni, joined his sister, Faustina Fosu, as well as relatives and close associates of the late musician to extend financial assistance to patients and new mothers at the hospital.

As part of the initiative, medical bills for mothers who had delivered at the hospital but were unable to settle their expenses were paid. Odo Broni also covered the hospital bills of mothers who gave birth on September 29, in memory of her late husband.

The family further donated to support mothers whose children are receiving treatment for cancer, with each beneficiary receiving GH¢3,000.

Odo Broni explained that the decision was deeply connected to Daddy Lumba’s personal experience with cancer through his mother, Comfort Ama Saah Gyamfi, who died after battling leukaemia.

She said memories of his mother remained emotional for the late musician, who would often become tearful whenever he spoke about her.

“My mother-in-law had leukaemia and died, and anytime my late husband spoke about her, he wept. That’s why I have come to donate money to mothers whose children are battling cancer,” she said.

The gesture formed part of activities to honour Daddy Lumba’s memory while offering practical support to people going through difficult circumstances.

Reflecting on her husband’s legacy, Odo Broni said his physical absence had not diminished the impact of the music he created.

She noted that Daddy Lumba’s songs continue to bring happiness, comfort and cherished memories to listeners, with his musical works remaining relevant across generations.

According to her, the legacy he built throughout his career would continue to live on and influence people even in the years ahead.

Daddy Lumba, born Charles Kwadwo Fosu, was one of Ghana’s most celebrated highlife musicians. He died on July 26, 2025, at the age of 60.

Veteran Ghanaian actor Kofi Ajorlolo has revealed that a group of movie producers once imposed a two-year ban on him, preventing him from working in Ghana’s film industry.

Ajorlolo disclosed the experience in a recent video posted on Instagram by CelebrityBlogg55, where he reflected on some of the challenges he encountered during his long acting career.

According to the actor, the ban was initially expected to last for two years. However, the decision was eventually abandoned after about six to eight months.

“I was banned from acting in Ghana for 2 years by a group of producers,” Ajorlolo said.

He explained that despite the restriction, the ban did not prevent him from securing acting opportunities because producers from Nigeria continued to approach him for roles.

“Finally, I think they themselves went back, and they realised that no, it was not worth it because as they were banning me in Ghana here, Nigerian producers too were calling, fighting for me to come perform. So it didn’t affect me,” he explained.

Ajorlolo said the situation eventually forced the producers to reconsider their decision, leading to the ban being withdrawn.

“After six months or eight months or so, they themselves just pulled that thing out that I should come back,” he disclosed.

Reflecting on the incident, the veteran actor described himself as a sacrificial lamb, suggesting that his experience formed part of a broader situation within the Ghanaian movie industry at the time.

“So they used me as a sacrificial lamb. That was the first time,” he said.

The revelation offers a glimpse into some of the tensions that existed within Ghana’s film industry and the influence producers had over actors and local productions.

Ajorlolo has enjoyed a career spanning several decades, featuring in both Ghanaian and Nigerian film productions. His work across the two industries has also made him a familiar face to audiences in Ghana and Nigeria.

Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie has expressed support for President John Dramani Mahama following the government’s decision to reject a proposed health compact with the United States.

In a post on his X page, Sarkodie praised President Mahama for refusing to accept what the government considered problematic conditions contained in the proposed agreement.

“Thank you, Mr President… Hopefully one day we gain back the full respect deserved,” Sarkodie wrote.

His reaction followed comments by President Mahama explaining why Ghana declined the proposed compact, which was presented as an alternative arrangement after the country lost funding previously provided through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Friday, September 25, 2026, President Mahama said the Health Ministry had initially examined the proposed agreement before preparing a Cabinet Information Paper for consideration.

According to the President, Cabinet identified several provisions that raised concerns and ultimately decided against accepting the agreement.

One of the issues he highlighted was a requirement for Ghana to submit its pathogen profile, which would contain information relating to diseases endemic to the country.

President Mahama said Cabinet also questioned a provision that appeared to require Ghana to provide medical records.

He further pointed to conditions concerning Ghana’s financial contribution to the programme and restrictions that would have affected the Food and Drugs Authority’s ability to inspect medicines and other medical products entering the country under the arrangement.

The President described the terms as unacceptable and said Cabinet rejected the compact shortly after it was presented.

He described the decision as one of the fastest rejections of an agreement he had witnessed in Cabinet.

Sarkodie’s post has since drawn attention to the government’s position, with the rapper framing the decision as part of efforts to restore Ghana’s dignity and international respect.

Ghana’s music industry has gone through several remarkable eras, from traditional and guitar-band highlife to burger highlife, contemporary highlife and the rise of hiplife.

Long before Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and TikTok became major ways of discovering music, Ghanaian songs travelled through cassette tapes, CDs, radio programmes, television and word of mouth.

Many songs from those periods became an important part of everyday life. They were played at weddings, funerals, parties, drinking spots, school events and family gatherings.

Some of the songs remain popular today, but several others have gradually disappeared from regular radio playlists and conversations about Ghanaian music.

Ghanaian throwback songs worth bringing back.

1. Theresa — Daddy Lumba

Daddy Lumba’s “Theresa” remains one of the defining songs associated with his early career. It is part of the catalogue that helped establish him as one of Ghana’s major highlife musicians.

2. Mpempem Do Me — Daddy Lumba

Another romantic classic from Daddy Lumba, “Mpempem Do Me” takes listeners back to the era when love-themed highlife dominated Ghanaian radio.

3. Obi Ate Meso Buo — Daddy Lumba

“Obi Ate Meso Buo” is particularly significant because it was part of Daddy Lumba’s early solo catalogue after his period with Nana Acheampong.

The song remains one of the records associated with his emergence as a major solo act.

4. Yemfa Odo — Daddy Lumba

“Yemfa Odo” is another Daddy Lumba classic that deserves a place on any serious Ghanaian old-school playlist.

5. Dabi Dabi Ebeye Yie — Amakye Dede

Amakye Dede’s voice helped define Ghanaian highlife during the 1980s and 1990s.

“Dabi Dabi Ebeye Yie” remains one of his recognised classics.

6. Akwadaa Wesoa — Amakye Dede

“Akwadaa Wesoa” is another Amakye Dede song that deserves to be rediscovered by younger listeners.

It forms part of the veteran musician’s extensive highlife catalogue.

7. Iron Boy — Amakye Dede

“Iron Boy” is another established Amakye Dede classic and was also the title track of an album containing several other memorable recordings.

8. Jealousy Go Shame — Amakye Dede

“Jealousy Go Shame” is another record from Amakye Dede’s catalogue that older highlife lovers may remember immediately.

9. Kokooko — Daasebre Gyamenah

Daasebre Gyamenah’s “Kokooko” was one of the songs that helped establish his reputation as a major highlife voice.

His 1999 “Kokooko” album also became notable for its combination of highlife and hiplife elements.

10. Still I Love You — Daasebre Gyamenah

“Still I Love You” remains one of Daasebre Gyamenah’s better-known romantic songs and is still found on old-school Ghanaian music playlists.

11. Ahoofe — Daasebre Gyamenah

“Ahoofe” is another memorable title from Daasebre Gyamenah’s catalogue.

The song also reflects the romantic, mid-tempo highlife sound for which he became known.

12. You Stole My Heart — Daasebre Gyamenah

“You Stole My Heart” is another Daasebre Gyamenah classic that can easily transport listeners back to the highlife era of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

13. Abaso Bo — Daasebre Gyamenah

“Abaso Bo” is another title from Daasebre Gyamenah’s catalogue that deserves to be included when revisiting his music.

14. ABC OF LOVE — Oheneba Kissi

Oheneba Kissi was one of the prominent highlife musicians of his generation.

“ABC” is one of his recordings, while ABC of Love is the title of his 2002 album.

15. Medo Hemaa — Oheneba Kissi

“Medo Hemaa” was also the title of Oheneba Kissi’s 1999 album and is among the records associated with his successful period in Ghanaian highlife.

16. Kabribi Kyere Me — Oheneba Kissi

“Kabribi Kyere Me” was released as an album in 2001 and is another title closely associated with Oheneba Kissi’s career.

17. Bra Yen Tena — Akyeame

“Bra Yen Tena” is one of Akyeame’s old hiplife songs from the era when Okyeame Kwame and Okyeame Quophi were performing together.

The song was from the Masan Aba album. Okyeame Kwame later discussed the record publicly during a Joy Entertainment Twitter Space.

18. Mesan Aba — Akyeame ft. Yoggi Doggi & Nana Quame

This is one of the songs that was incorrectly attributed in the earlier version.

“Mesan Aba” was released by Akyeame in 1999 on their Nkonsonkonson album, featuring Yoggi Doggi and Nana Quame.

19. Sika Baa — Lord Kenya

Lord Kenya’s “Sika Baa” is one of the records that represents the early period of Ghanaian hiplife.

The song was released in 1999 and became associated with the rapper’s rise during the period.

20. Pae Mu Ka — Obrafour

“Pae Mu Ka” is one of the defining songs of Ghanaian hiplife.

Released as part of Obrafour’s 1999 debut album, the song helped establish him as one of the genre’s most important early voices.

21. Anadwo Yɛde — K.K. Fosu

K.K. Fosu became one of the recognisable voices of Ghanaian contemporary highlife in the early 2000s.

“Anadwo Yɛde” is one of his nostalgic records from that period.

22. Otoolege — Ofori Amponsah

“Otoolege” is one of Ofori Amponsah’s recognisable early-2000s highlife songs.

The catchy record formed part of the period when Ofori Amponsah was one of the most prominent names in Ghanaian music.

23. Emmanuella — Ofori Amponsah

“Emmanuella” is another well-known Ofori Amponsah record from his successful highlife era.

It remains one of the titles that immediately brings back memories of early-2000s Ghanaian music.

24. Rakia — Kofi Nti ft. Ofori Amponsah

“Rakia” is a collaboration between Kofi Nti and Ofori Amponsah.

It appears alongside other songs from their Rakia catalogue, including “Odo Nwom” and “Atweetan.”

25. Odo Nwom — Kofi Nti & Ofori Amponsah

“Odo Nwom” is another collaboration from Kofi Nti and Ofori Amponsah that is now largely associated with the old-school Ghanaian highlife era.

26. Atweetan — Kofi Nti & Ofori Amponsah

“Atweetan” is another title from the same catalogue and is worth revisiting by fans of Ghanaian highlife from the 2000s.

27. Koye Meho Adee — Nana Quame

Nana Quame was another prominent voice during the era when contemporary highlife and hiplife dominated Ghanaian radio.

“Koye Meho Adee” is one of his older recordings listed in old-school Ghanaian music collections.

28. Me Nko Meda — Nana Quame & Sass Squad

“Me Nko Meda” is another Nana Quame collaboration that takes listeners back to the early-2000s Ghanaian music scene.

29. Toffee — Castro

Castro was one of the defining voices of Ghana’s hiplife and contemporary music scene in the 2000s.

“Toffee” remains one of his older songs that appears on Ghanaian old-school playlists.

30. Sikletele — 4×4

4×4 were among the groups that helped shape Ghanaian hiplife in the 2000s.

“Sikletele” is one of their throwback records that many listeners who followed that era will remember.

31. Oldman Boogey — FBS Crew ft. Tinny

“Oldman Boogey” is another record from Ghana’s hiplife era, with Tinny appearing on the remix.

The song represents the collaborative nature of the Ghanaian hiplife scene during the period.

32. 16 Years — Mzbel

Mzbel’s “16 Years” was one of the songs that helped define the early-2000s female hiplife/pop scene in Ghana.

The song remains one of her signature throwback records.

33. African Girls — Castro ft. Asamoah Gyan

“African Girls” is another Castro record associated with his collaboration with former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan, popularly known as Baby Jet.

The song became one of the memorable party records from that period.

34. Odo Pa— Castro ft. Asamoah Gyan & Kofi Kinaata

Castro’s collaborations with Asamoah Gyan produced several memorable records during the peak of Ghana’s contemporary music era.

“Odo Pa,” featuring Asamoah Gyan and Kofi Kinaata, is one of the songs that remains a nostalgic reminder of Castro’s contribution to Ghanaian music and the collaborations that characterised that period.

35. Jacket Remix — Praye ft. 4×4, Wutah, Tinny, Samini & Blackstone

The remix of “Jacket” brought together several major names from Ghana’s 2000s music scene.

Praye’s original “Jacket” appeared on their Rollkoll 2008 album, while the remix added 4×4, Wutah, Tinny, Samini and Blackstone.

36. Moko Hoo — Bandana ft. Tinny

Before becoming widely known as Shatta Wale, Bandana released “Moko Hoo” featuring Tinny.

The song became one of Bandana’s major early hits and is an important piece of Ghana’s hiplife and dancehall history.

37. No Shortcut to Heaven — M.anifest ft. Obrafour

The collaboration between M.anifest and Obrafour brought together two different generations and approaches to Ghanaian rap.

38. Aso — Reggie Zippy & Kwabena Kwabena

“Aso” is another record that appears in old-school Ghanaian music collections and brings together Reggie Zippy and Kwabena Kwabena.

39. Still I Love You — Daasebre Gyamenah

“Still I Love You” continues to appear in Ghanaian old-school playlists and is one of the songs associated with Daasebre Gyamenah’s romantic highlife catalogue.

40. Obaa Ben Ni — Daasebre Gyamenah

“Obaa Ben Ni” is another Daasebre Gyamenah record that appears in old-school Ghanaian highlife collections.

It is one of the less frequently discussed titles from his catalogue that deserves another listen.

The sound of an era

These songs come from different periods, but together they tell the story of Ghana’s evolving popular music.

The older highlife recordings laid the foundation for the contemporary sound, while the music of the 1990s and 2000s helped establish hiplife and modern highlife as major forces in Ghanaian entertainment.

Songs such as Pae Mu Ka, Mesan Aba, Sika Baa, Moko Hoo, Otoolege, Anadwo Yɛde, Kokooko, and ABC OF LOVE  are more than old records. They are reminders of particular periods in Ghanaian music when different artistes, producers and groups were experimenting with new sounds while maintaining elements of Ghanaian language and culture.

And perhaps that is why old-school music continues to generate nostalgia.

A song that has not been heard for years can suddenly bring back memories of a particular school, relationship, party, radio programme or period of one’s life.

For a generation growing up with streaming platforms and short-form videos, these songs also provide a way to discover the artistes and sounds that came before today’s Ghanaian music scene.

The question is simple: which forgotten Ghanaian classic should be brought back next?