We Depend Too Much on a Few Artistes – Mr Drew Speaks on Ghana Music Industry

Ghanaian musician Mr Drew has criticised the country’s music industry for what he describes as an overreliance on a small number of established artistes, saying the practice is limiting opportunities for other talented musicians.

The Case hitmaker made the comments during an interview on Onua FM’s Efie Ne Fie programme, where he discussed the state of Ghana’s music industry and the opportunities available to emerging artistes.

According to Mr Drew, Ghana has a large pool of talented musicians, but the industry often presents itself as though only a few artistes are capable of carrying major events and attracting audiences.

He said this approach has gradually made the industry appear smaller than it actually is.

“The industry is so big for all of us, but sometimes, we’ve made it so small. We’ve made it look like it revolves around a few people, and this is not helping the industry to go far,” Mr Drew said during the interview.

The musician argued that many talented artistes are being overlooked because the same established names continue to receive opportunities to perform at major events and occupy prominent industry platforms.

“There are so many good artistes who are not getting attention, but over the years, the industry has been built around a few people,” he said.

Mr Drew further explained that concentrating the industry around a handful of musicians could have consequences for the wider music ecosystem.

“If those few people are scattering things, everybody else suffers,” he added.

He also criticised what he described as the repetitive nature of some event line-ups, saying organisers frequently select the same artistes instead of giving other musicians an opportunity to prove themselves before larger audiences.

“Every day, it’s the same people, the same names and the same line-ups,” Mr Drew said.

He believes the situation could change if event organisers and other industry stakeholders deliberately created space for emerging and lesser-known artistes.

“Meanwhile, it can be bigger. If the other good artistes are given the platform, they can even do more,” he added.

Mr Drew’s comments come amid continuing conversations about the challenges facing Ghanaian musicians, particularly emerging artistes who struggle to secure performances, publicity and access to larger audiences.

The musician’s argument is that providing opportunities beyond the industry’s established names could expose audiences to new talent and allow more artistes to develop sustainable careers.

He also suggested that repeatedly building major platforms around the same musicians creates a system in which the wider industry can be affected whenever those established artistes are unavailable.