MAD Conversations

Adonko Fa Me Ko: The Love Song That Became Ghana's Biggest Bitters Anthem

• The Adverbe • Season 1 • Episode 4

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0:00 | 1:29:01

Everyone in Ghana knows the Adonko jingle. Almost nobody knows the man who made it.

Dr. Yaw Stone wrote Adonko Fa me kɔ as a love song in 2013, and it flopped. Three years later he received a call, and without a brief, a contract, and a label, he turned it into one of the most recognizable piece of music in Ghanaian advertising history. Then Ghana sang his song everywhere and forgot his face.

In this episode of MAD Conversations, Abeiku Dadson sits down with Dr. Yaw Stone -   highlife musician, Mentor 6 winner, herbal medicine practitioner, and the quiet force behind some of Ghana's most iconic jingles - for a conversation about music, advertising, and what happens when creativity meets commerce with no one in your corner.

They get into how the original love song became a bitters jingle, why FDA regulators changed his lyrics three times before approving it, how he owns the copyright to Adonko and has never stopped getting paid for it, why he chose relationships over lawsuits when things went wrong, and what every young Ghanaian creative needs to know before they sign anything.

This is not just a music story. It's a masterclass in creative ownership.

This is MAD Conversations. Marketing. Advertising. Digital. Design. Ghana's commercial creativity - documented.

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 Connect with Dr. Yaw Stone 
Twitter : @YawStoneGh

Instagram: yawstone1. 

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  LinkedIn: / samuel-ad

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Chapters
0:00 Meet Yaw Stone
0:32 Mentor 5: Getting Kicked Out & Life in Between
5:32 Growing Up in Kumasi
8:59 The Road Back to Mentor…6
14:17 Winning Mentor 6
24:45 What Came After the Win
26:20 The Prayer That Changed Everything
33:23 How the Adonko Deal Really Happened
36:45 The FDA Process Behind the Jingle
45:19 Originality, Brand Relationships, & Getting Paid
57:30 Beyond Adonko
1:23:27 Advice to Young Artists

SPEAKER_03

I understand alpha. Aka alpha.

SPEAKER_02

I think some boy at the point. Star boy. Is it the mentality?

SPEAKER_03

If I call you more than each time. Eventually you were able to convince me and I went over to me. I changed the record in the point.

SPEAKER_01

What were you doing with that?

SPEAKER_03

In one year. I changed the pictures. I can call a pictures of like that. Yeah, no being an album from three months' time. And then three months' time, my friend was like, oh, Charlie, yeah, from the next month. Yeah. Finally, finally come to the studio. I went to the studio, we didn't record. And then I went to another time. So he didn't even make the song for me. That was when I realized, no, I have to learn something. When I got to know that I could play my own books, I played the first song I played was Injection. The second song was Inject.

SPEAKER_01

And this was after you.

SPEAKER_03

This is Africa. They don't understand the laws and things like that. So they will say no to me.

SPEAKER_01

I came across a story that you had to speak adult.

SPEAKER_03

What happened?

SPEAKER_01

Dr. Yalstone. I bet. Where from the doctor?

SPEAKER_03

Okay, so um, I deal in hairbower medicine.

SPEAKER_01

Professionally?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I'm here to get my set.

SPEAKER_01

I'm still when you say you deal in hairball medicine. Did you go to school for that?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I practice that I'm now getting my set from the university. Yeah. And also the name doctor itself that I added to my stage name was given to me by three professors.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Professor Jacob Music. Oh. Jack Onimo called me a doctor at Cultural Center Kumasi. And then a scientist in Dubai, his name is Melissa Maxon. He also called me a doctor because of the way I use my legs to play smooth.

SPEAKER_01

Who really is Dr. Yarlstone?

SPEAKER_03

Okay, so I'm a high-life musician. I started music at a tender age. I started singing, like I realized my talents when I was like eight years. Eight years? Yep. When I was like, no, I wasn't eight. I was like six. Okay. And I started singing in the house. Yeah, class. That wasn't no, I wasn't when I was six, I was in class two. Okay.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you started school early. Because I think in Ghana there very early.

SPEAKER_03

I started very early. In fact, when um international schools, the private schools started coming to Ghana, I'm one of the people who went to like I was in Kumarse at that time. Yeah. So I started singing from school. And then in GHS, I was also singing. So at age 13, I think I was in GHS too. So I that's when we did a school competition, inter-school competition. There was a game time. Um, others were playing football, others were doing dancing, and we were doing the music and dance was together. So I won every stage. Stage one, stage two, three, four, so five. I won every stage. And and this is you singing other people's song, or you sing other people's songs, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And this was at uh Nyan Chuanyase.

SPEAKER_03

That was yeah, yeah. I was raised in Nyanche Nase. I was born in Nyanchuanyasi. But in my GHS school time, I went to Bremen.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. RC. So that was when the So all the competitions and all of that happened in Bremen.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, so after SHS, I went to Assembly after I GHS Assembly South Gordon. I was entertainment prefect from day one.

SPEAKER_01

When did you when did you pick up the the guitar? You said you would when you're when you're studying the guitar, you're learning to play the guitar, but your dad will come into school.

SPEAKER_02

So there's a story around that one.

SPEAKER_01

Tell me.

SPEAKER_03

So when I was in SHS, like in form three, I used to sneak out to studio. And then not only to studio, but I sick sneak out to go and learn computer hardware. Okay. Also. So after school, when I completed SHS in 2007, I already knew how to repair computers. No matter how broken it is, you bring it to me, I will I'll fix it. So I was at home one day, and then somebody came looking for me, you know, in a family house where we had like 16 boys in the house, age mates, the body was stubborn. Yeah. So if you see somebody coming home to look for somebody, somebody so the man came and he was wearing guitar at his back, and he was like, he was looking for Godwin.

SPEAKER_02

And they were like, only they didn't know what I've done. And they were like, Oh, or for an American computer, that's what called him a computer, bro.

SPEAKER_03

So I just got up and then he was like, Oh, Pakwesty, like he is my boss.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, he actually the person who taught you how to do how to repair the computer and stuff.

SPEAKER_03

Wow, is my boss. He said, You should come to me. What is the problem? So I'm beginning to think that I I might not be able to. And he was like, his computer in his studio is not working. He switches it on and it restarts, it keeps restarting, and at a point it won't even come at all. I was like, okay, all right. Then I knew the problem.

SPEAKER_01

It wasn't you knew what the problem was, even without seeing the computer. He tells me that I know the problem. You know the problem. Yes, you truly are a doctor, aren't you? Even you see, yeah, we'll get there.

SPEAKER_02

We weren't talking, we'll get there. So um, I went to his house with him. I didn't pick anything. I didn't, he was like, I don't for two.

SPEAKER_03

I was like, you let's go, let me go and see the machine. So went to his house and then he in his studio, he opened the studio, and then he switched on the machine. Machine started booting and then restarted again like four times and he didn't come again. I was like, okay. So when he told me, I just fixed it. So by the time we're going, I told him that I really want to learn how to play guitar.

SPEAKER_01

Because you saw him with the guitar.

SPEAKER_03

Not because I saw him. I have been wanting to learn guitar, but I couldn't get anybody to teach me. He was excited about it. Yes. So he led me with the instrument. He was like, okay, go and see the music director and tell him you want the guitar. So I went to him and then he gave me the guitar. It was acoustic guitar. So I took the acoustic guitar.

SPEAKER_01

It was the church guitar. It's a church guitar.

SPEAKER_03

So I went to the man who taught me how to play guitar. He's called Odunpe.

SPEAKER_01

The same man who had a computer problem.

SPEAKER_03

Yes. It's called Odunpi. So when I got the guitar, that was when he started teaching me the guitar. First month, second month, third month, I was playing in church. I was like, no. Then I was like, yeah, I don't sleep. The day I'll go, he'll give me an assignment. I'll make sure I'll be able to play it by the next morning. So I stay at night, learn the guitar, learn the ladies, anything he teaches me in the morning, I'll be playing. And then fast forward I was a rapper. Yeah. Hey. I had one rap competition in Kumasi KFM. In fact, I'll f I won my batch, and then we did the grand finale. So the grand finale, I was it was me. There's a producer in Kumasi called Apiar. Is Apial Navy?

SPEAKER_01

I know that guy.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. Eno Baroni.

SPEAKER_01

Um you were in a competition with all of them. Oh, yeah. Wow. Where? Which competition was that?

SPEAKER_03

KFM Freestyle Saturday. It was like the way Adobe F was doing Kasahara.

SPEAKER_01

You were doing the same thing.

SPEAKER_03

We were doing the same. So I was so popular in Kumasi that time.

SPEAKER_01

Oh and this was before mentor. Before mentor. So why did you go to mentor if you were already popular?

SPEAKER_03

In fact, I was a pop, I was popular in Kumasi.

SPEAKER_01

So I wanted to be popular nationwide. Yeah. Now we know where Yalstone comes from. Yeah. And we know you're you are the only person in Ghana, the whole of Ghana, who plays a castanet with your leg.

SPEAKER_02

With my feet. We'll get into that.

SPEAKER_01

But you you went to Mentor 5. You auditioned. Tell us about the story.

SPEAKER_03

So uh the rap competition. After the rap competition, that was when I went to Mentor Five. Yeah. So I auditioned in Kumasi.

SPEAKER_01

Amfa.

SPEAKER_03

Accra.

SPEAKER_01

Kovoria. 2010. Mentor five. 2008. 2008. 2008 to 209. Okay. Mentor five. Mentor five. Okay.

SPEAKER_03

That time I used to work with my sister. She had a printing press in Komasi. So the time I was learning how to play the guitar, I was learning graphic designing.

SPEAKER_06

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

And computer networking at the same time. I was learning like four things. And I was okay.

SPEAKER_02

One of many talents.

SPEAKER_03

I I even I didn't I never had challenges in any of them. Because none of them conflicted. Time like I was okay. Yeah. So by 2008, 2009, I was a professional graphic designer. And I was working at the printing press, my sister's shop. So when I close from the shop, I go to my boss engineer. He teaches me the guitar. Come to shop the next day. He gives me an assignment. I'll be learning. And then when I get a job, I go and do that in the evening.

SPEAKER_01

You went to you went again for mental six. I went again. You auditioned in 2011. 2011, 2012. And you got in.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Tell us. What did you do right this time that got you in?

SPEAKER_02

I still didn't do things right.

SPEAKER_01

So how did you get in? I was still kicked out.

SPEAKER_02

I was kicked out. What? So the mental six. You know, there's a story between the mental five and the mental six. I think a shoe shine boy at a point. Shoe shine.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I was doing shoeshine with your computer knowledge, your computer repair knowledge, all the things that you knew.

SPEAKER_03

So my sister sat me from the shop. When I was going for the edition, she said I shouldn't go. Why was it? If I go, I shouldn't come back to the shop. What was her reason? She said, music is not easy. She used to sing at church. She had been looking for a producer all her life. She wasn't getting getting to the limelight is very difficult. So if I have somewhere working, I should focus and work. That will make me make money. And then I should forget about what I'm doing. If God gives me the chance to get a producer, I will get an alcohol. Those things, even if I chase it, people pay bribe to wear. So if I go, I'm good, just gonna waste time and money. So I should sit at a shirt. That wasn't a bad advice. It was a good advice from her, but not to me. Yeah, because what I was looking for, the drive, the passion, the vision, and what I've seen, it's not what she was talking about. Different.

SPEAKER_01

Only you knew the vision that you had.

SPEAKER_03

I I'm only I'm the only person who knew what I wanted. So she was in a shop. You know, the shop was divided like this. It was a bookshop and a printing press. I was handling the printing press. She was in the bookshop. She she came to the printing press. I wasn't there. She asked my brother if I audition. So coming back with my sad face, I couldn't go to the shop. And then I made friends at the audition ground, they were from Accra. So they told me to come to Accra. So I sat in my house. I came to Accra. I told my parents that um people said I should come to Accra first. Work together. So I'm going. And I came. In fact, they received me, they were good to me. And they've been good to me till now. In fact, they are part of the reason why he is here yesterday. Some of them were here. We are still cool, but we're still together. We work together. What happened that I became a shoe shine boy was I used to shine, I used to do like shine my father's shoes at home and blah blah blah. Some of my cousins were doing shoeshine, so sometimes we go there, we help them. So I knew how to you know sew the shoes, the child water and those things. I knew how to do them. That one they we didn't learn from anyway. So I somebody dashed me money, 10 cities that time. I went to a carpenter. He gave me no, it was 10 cities when they knew. I didn't know where to start from because I mean I'm a new person. The only place I knew was Abu Zookai. They took me to Abu Zoka. That was the only place I knew. I didn't know anywhere. Where am I gonna start from? So I remember they took me to the seaside one day to rehearse. I was like, okay, let me walk to the seaside. No, no, you're walking from Abosokai. Who took you to the seaside? My guys. Okay. His name is Blade.

SPEAKER_06

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

There were two guys who got me Blade and Baka. I walked from Abosukai to Coligono Beach. I didn't know it was that far until I got there.

SPEAKER_01

Do you think you had failed at that time?

SPEAKER_03

In fact, at that time, nothing like failure clicked my mind. Because I am the type that if I say I want to do something, you're focused on it, I am focused on it. And minya minya, I don't know why I don't have the same energy when I'm chasing women. If I come to you, you don't touch me, I won't come again.

SPEAKER_02

But you know, but when I want to do something, if you're really on it, forget it.

SPEAKER_03

If I want something from you, and then my intel tells me that I should come to you, Abeko, and it is you. You sleep, you wake up, and I'm in front of your house, in front of your door. I want it. Are you giving it to me or I should go? If you tell me that I can't give it to you, I'll go and I won't come again.

SPEAKER_01

But if you tell me go and come, you go and come.

SPEAKER_03

I'll go and come 100 million times, I don't mind until I get it. That's how I am. So when I was doing the shusha and all those things, you know one funny thing, let me close the shusha story here. It was a day the guy told me that his boss saw the shushine box, and he said he doesn't want to see it and shop again. So I was like, okay. And what do we do? So we need we can buy quality mag the big one. So when you put we when you put the box in a big one, we'll go to the back of the wall, and then you dig a hole, you put them in, you put blocks on it. So the next day when you come, brilliant idea. I started doing that. I did it. And there was a day when I came, I started looking for my boss. No, no, somebody had picked the stones. You see, this they see in the night, they see breeze, they see rolls, and then comes fire. So in the morning, everywhere will be flat. Yeah, people haven't people hadn't come there, so everywhere will be flat, and then you can walk around until you see footprints started good. So when I got there, everywhere was flat, and then my box, I knew where I put it, but the stone wasn't there, the stone was at a different place. So I was I was like, okay, I went to dig where the stone was. I started digging when I found the Shushan box. Something just told me to leave it. I left it and I closed it, and I wanted to take my box.

SPEAKER_01

And I closed the chapter for you being a Shushan box.

SPEAKER_03

I stopped. After when I stopped, that was when I came back to Kumarsi.

SPEAKER_00

So, what did you do when you went to Kumasi?

SPEAKER_03

I went to Kumasi, started looking for a job. You know, the graphic designer, I didn't learn it from school, so getting a job was a bit difficult. I went to one man's shop, and then there were like five guys looking for one particular position, a graphic designer at the printing price. So the man was like, okay, you what application when I was like, I'm Fabian. Now you're a graphic designer. Everybody was holding brand envelope, their CV, their certificates, and everything. Those who went to Poly and then K U S D, they were there. And now I was there. The one was like, okay.

SPEAKER_01

You went to the school of life.

SPEAKER_03

Yes. So okay, Obi Alpha envelope in Guamumra. You sit here, sit here, sit here. And then he gave us a picture envelope to design the same thing on the picture envelope. So he gave it to me. I just started working. The time I finished designing mine, somebody was just drawing a profile. That time I had finished, and then we are doing corrections. They were doing profile. So I was in his shop, then I got a call from Blake. That's Star Boy. You see the mentor audition, the day on TV, I was like, Oh, me, I know go. In fact, he called me more than eight times. I said, I won't go. And then back I called Stone. With their coalition, I'll I'll buy the I'll buy the phone for you. I'll give you a lawyer. I was like, I said, and I'm working.

SPEAKER_01

What changed your mind? Was it their persistence?

SPEAKER_03

They persistently called me, texted me. You know, we didn't have WhatsApp that time, we just had Yam phones, and you'll call me, I'll cut the coin, the text will come from me. Starboy, I say, go. Like, when you see that one giving me pressure, I so I eventually they were able to convince me, and I went for them. I was kicked out again.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, did they know when you were getting bounced here and there? You were telling them they knew. They knew, and you were still giving you the pressure to go.

SPEAKER_02

They were management that time, they were managing me that time.

SPEAKER_01

So they saw something in you that you didn't see yourself.

SPEAKER_02

They saw what I didn't see myself.

SPEAKER_03

I was left with three days for them to start mentor. That's when I got the call from TV3 that I should come to TV three office.

SPEAKER_01

So Blade went to the house to TV three, he had a friend that watched this guy.

SPEAKER_03

So after that, first of all, we started singing, performing for the first four Sundays, and then you know, first day, and Shaganko yeah, the no more second day, the third day. Blade was like, Hey, nigga, let's change our style. Like, okay.

SPEAKER_01

Were you rapping or you were singing? I was singing. Blade was like, let's change the story. The same singing that but didn't get you in.

SPEAKER_03

You see, the same singing, but the songs, the choice of songs were wrong.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. I was choosing the wrong songs. The wrong songs. Okay, so Blade advised you to change the song, change the song to ready because I had a rap background. I was able to blend.

SPEAKER_03

In fact, I changed that. What was the song I sang? I think David's featuring Shampoo. Oh, is on my so when I was singing, I was able to do the fossil very well.

SPEAKER_02

And I got the best performer. So in a week time, they was like sing really again. We're like, okay, and then we chose Tarzwelli. She's rolling, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

So when I got the first performance on the third day, and then the last day, I got the second best performer. I qualified to the mentor house. You made it to the final 12. I made it to the final 12, and then we had four mentors. We had Nasi, Kobra Kobna, Amanziba, and Rexuma to mentor us. Wow. So everybody selected the people the contestant they want to handle. Who selected you? Nasi selected me.

SPEAKER_02

I thought Kobra Kobna was going to choose me because you know I was doing high life, but I was learning from him. Not knowing God gave me to the right person.

SPEAKER_01

Nasi. So your final your final stage, um, your stage for your performance for the finals, yeah, the outfit you wore was essentially improvised. Yes. So it wasn't planned from the beginning.

SPEAKER_03

It wasn't planned. First one was planned by Nasi. I I did the first song. That's when he made me sing two songs.

SPEAKER_04

I sing, Oh my, it's my boy, dad, yeah, me.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, that's on the four. I sang that song half and I sang, yeah, if you two abodes, I put those two songs together and come out.

SPEAKER_01

How did you even do that? Now she taught me how to do that because those are very different rhythms.

SPEAKER_03

So you were hit with the ban. You sing this one at the point, they break, gave an interlude a little change my clothes on stage. In four minutes. In four minutes.

SPEAKER_01

You are a genius.

SPEAKER_03

And in fact, I preferly entertained the whole house. That was a national theater. In fact, I perfectly detained the works. And then my second performance killed it, and my last performance. In fact, for the last performance, people were crying, so it was emotional. The song was a slave song. I think Castro has used it before.

SPEAKER_01

So you won Mental Mentor Six. I won Mentor Six. What was the price?

SPEAKER_03

So it was um a brand new car and a cash price. 7,000 CDs and then a record deal. My main focus after winning, that was my main focus, the record deal. I changed the record deal for like a year, I think.

SPEAKER_01

And you were trying to chase the the record label deal for a year. What were you doing in between apart from chasing the the deal?

SPEAKER_03

So during the time I was learning from article one, how to play my own beat. He he the time he realized that I could play beat, he was even shocked. He was like, ah boy, now that when I was here beat more. I was like, ah, yeah, now yeah, I'm a fair man. I was like, wow.

SPEAKER_01

So the first by watching.

SPEAKER_03

I learned by watching. So, and then 925 also taught me some. So I when I got to know that I could play my own beats, I played the first song I played was Injection.

SPEAKER_04

The second song was I don't go for me, go for and this was 2013, the period after you had one mentor.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. When you sang that song, did you did you have an ulterior motive in mind? Were you singing the song so that Adonko would reach out to you?

SPEAKER_03

There was no company called Adonko that time. Okay. I did my song as a high-level artist, went to the farm, sold picks, brought money to promote my song.

SPEAKER_01

What was the motivation behind the song?

SPEAKER_03

Okay, the the song has a storyline. Tell us. The first verse is says that Minnow.

SPEAKER_01

So Yastone, the first line that you sang is very different from the first line that I know, which is the Adoku.

SPEAKER_02

So the original song.

SPEAKER_01

So you you you tweaked the original song to see because what I know from the Adonko it's so you started with Minunamana Minia J. Yes. So it's a love song.

SPEAKER_03

It's a love song. So Adonko Famiko means I need seesaw, swing saw. So when I sit on a swing so it takes me to the other side where my my baby is, and I go to her. So Adonko Famiko take me to my woman.

SPEAKER_01

And the Fade is what?

SPEAKER_03

Fa day fa means flying, fly away. So Adonko Famiko, Fade, Adefa. So Fa means flying. You know that time dancehall had dominated the industry. So the DJs, the radio, everywhere, they were playing dancehall. That was when the likes of um Stone Boy, Chatawali, uh Jupiter episode, Khaki, um, Miss V, like everybody was doing dancehall. So when I take the song to the presenters and the DJs, they were like, yeah, dance all the dance hole on echo chale, and I'll be the song didn't go anywhere. All the money was wasted. Right, okay.

SPEAKER_01

And this is someone who was one mentor, and you you you you could use the industry support.

SPEAKER_03

They didn't do anything for me. In fact, I was paying, I paid DJs, I paid a lot of DJs.

SPEAKER_01

But you did you perform some reggae songs on stage during your mentor time and it did really well. Did you consider doing reggae? Did you do any dance or something?

SPEAKER_03

I didn't do dance or I did reggae songs. But what happened was that time the producers to produce me, they were too busy for me. I was like, okay, you know what? Let me focus on high life. I knew there's time for everything, time will come. Absolutely. So I started focusing on high life. So I was there, and then just one night, I sat in my room and I started praying. I was like, this is what I said in my prayers. I'm saying it in three, just the way I prayed. I was like, you ready? But he had also different from musician so that the world will also hear me. That was it. That was it. That was it.

SPEAKER_00

Heartfelt prayer.

SPEAKER_03

And I cried. I get emotional when I'm praying. So after four months, you know, music is a spirit. I believe that. Music is a spirit, it speaks to us. Mostly I hear it from my left ear. Okay. Whenever music spirit is speaking to me, I hear it from my left ear. So I was just there, I was like, cutoff ritual, fashion. Like that. Fashion.

SPEAKER_00

By the way, this is the future, right?

SPEAKER_03

This is Shika.

SPEAKER_00

Where's the future?

SPEAKER_02

This is the future.

SPEAKER_01

What I know is we played like this. So, what was the fashion?

SPEAKER_03

Yes. Now me now they question exactly. So I went to Axel, I bought some, it didn't sound well, like go to Kumasi. So I went to Kumasi to get this done for me.

SPEAKER_01

So this is actually custom made.

SPEAKER_03

No, the Kumasi people, this is how they do this.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. So you didn't just pick it off anybody's table to buy.

SPEAKER_03

No, no, I went to a particular man and I told him to do it like this for me. Because this one sounds different from what they sell. The other ones. And it looks different too. It's not the same. It is not the same as what they sell at Accentine stuff. So I particularly went for this incommerce. So when I came, this was after the prayer. After the prayer. So I was in a like fashion or two or something. That was what was I was told to do. And then I picked the guitar and this started racing. It wasn't working. In fact, it wasn't synchronizing. This is playing something different. I was like, okay, fine, I think I'll get there. So the voice spoke to me again. You will get there. Beautiful. That was when I remembered a story my mom told me that when I was a kid, they had left me inside the room. By the time they came, I was playing with somebody, talking to somebody, but there was nobody there. I was the only one seeing the person. I think when I was a kid, I used to see them, but now I hear. So from 2014, 2015, 2016. Getting in 2017, that was when this thing, my leg and the guitar synchronized. So I could play, then I play the guitar, then it sang. I was there and the same voice spoke again. Then I went to buy maracas. It's like marakas in the beach. Like in Yesheka, Koto Kushka. So I only know that people play Kushka.

SPEAKER_02

This thing let me demonstrate it. The only thing I know is they do it like this.

SPEAKER_03

That is what I know they do. But we go to them and I say, How do I do it? And the same voice said, Far rapper, boom, for rapper, boom, so wrapper, and wrapper more than one. And it was like, buy two. I bought two, one big, one small. So this, this. And then I wrap it around my ankle. That is what that was what I was told to do.

unknown

Wow.

SPEAKER_03

This thing I'm saying, people might say, people might not believe it. But I was listening to Chatawali's interview sometime ago. It was like that's his song, um, On God. It was in America, and then a spirit came into the room. The spirit kind of dawned into him, and then he started playing the rhythm, and he said he started recording this. And I was like, that's what happened to me. So I started learning this one too. So to synchronize the twin. I perfected the right with the future, I was left with the left. So I was just trying my best, right? So from 2016, 17, 18, 19 was when I realized this one has synced. 2020, I started perfecting it. You know, originally, ever since I started doing music after mentor, I rehearsed six hours every day. Rehears, I rehearsed six hours every day.

SPEAKER_01

Six straight hours.

SPEAKER_03

Six hours every day. When I wake up, I pick my guitar and then I start rehearsing. So this has seen, this has singed. Now I have to know different types of songs. I have to learn them, other people's songs, not my own songs. So I was still so during the time I was learning this and this and this, Adonko Adverts came in in 2016.

SPEAKER_01

2016. Three years after you had released the released original song. So when they reached that, what did they say? Uh they didn't come for the song because they didn't hear the song anywhere.

SPEAKER_03

But what happened was the guy who shot the advert had met me in Kumasi before. I had done Brooketu advert. Apart from the Bruko, Brooke 2. Yeah, apart from the data.

SPEAKER_01

Apart from that, you did another Buku.

SPEAKER_03

I think Booga Jim Beatles, he had brought a drink called Booga.

SPEAKER_01

So before what you're saying is before Adunko, you had done jingles.

SPEAKER_03

I had done jingles, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Boogajin Bitess. Booga Jim Bitess. Sing the Bruku one for for us. So let's go there a little bit. When they came to what the broker to be, what did they tell you they wanted?

SPEAKER_03

Okay, so the brook to people, the black man company sponsored. He was part of the sponsors for my mentor, the one I won. When I was a man, he was part of the main sponsors. So after I won the mentor, I was going to the companies who sponsored us to say thank you to them. Oh, I took it for myself. Nobody.

SPEAKER_01

So it wasn't a TB3 thing.

SPEAKER_03

No, they didn't arrange that. I wanted to. Wow. So when I got to New Black Man, he was in Kumasi. That was when he told me to do jingle for him. And he dashed me some money.

SPEAKER_01

And what did he see? I'm interested in what he said, yes. Which brought about the whole thing.

SPEAKER_03

So you know one thing about that time, I didn't know about the business side of all those things. I didn't know anything there.

SPEAKER_04

It's me had mobile crack Jew royalty every year.

SPEAKER_03

I didn't know. I was just focused on doing the creation and blah blah blah. I knew that when I get a record label and management team, they will be doing those things. Yeah. But those things were no part of my thinking. So when I went there, and then Obini said, Oh, yeah, only yeah, Jingo, mommy, I just went to the studio, did the Gajimeters advertis, I brought it to you. And I went home.

SPEAKER_01

So they didn't give you any brief of salt?

SPEAKER_03

Nothing.

SPEAKER_01

So but did you know about the product?

SPEAKER_03

I didn't know about the product. So that was when the guy who shot the director who shot Adunko's adverts, that was where he met me. So in 2016, he called me that Yao Jack, Uben Mam there twice. Because okay, you say with the brass and maybe okay. And San Indy, I don't cook this. I don't go beat us. I was like, I don't go beat this. I don't cook this. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

This was three years after your original song that didn't go anywhere.

SPEAKER_03

Yes. So after I hung up, I was like, I don't go. Ah, my song is there. So I called him my life. That's how I mean you mean I sent him the original song. I'm like, ah yo! And wow, I was like, okay, so they changed the lyrics. So I I was in the studio when he called. So I just went inside, cut the beats, deleted the verses, and left the chorus. Fade, I'll there fa. So I just sat there, I was playing the beats, and then I don't go with this. Okay. So the first lyrics I wrote was wait.

SPEAKER_01

I I don't get it. How do you piece, if you say they don't they didn't give you any brief? Yeah, how do you know what? Because you see, there are FD regulations when it comes to these things.

SPEAKER_03

I didn't know about all that.

SPEAKER_01

So how were you able to now because the the jungle has been playing for years, it's gone through FD approval. It's yeah it's how were you able to come up with the capture the the lyrics such that you didn't have any problem with it? And it also did the job, right? Because, see, a lot of people have insinuations about the Adoku song, what it means, the Famiko, and all of those things. You and I'll let you play the original, you play the Adonko jingle, we'll put it side to side. You did various variations as well, yeah, right? Because you did for the uh one, two, three, you did for the atadrip. Yeah, but what I'm interested in is knowing how exactly did you know what to see? Because you in your case, it's different. Yeah, you had a song. I had a song, yeah. B Edia and one a club, I feel patapa. There it it's there's an song, everybody get on now, and then club picked it. Well, you had to get the story behind that as well. But club picked it, and then they tweaked it, someone tweaked it for them, and then they did B Edia and one a club, right? How did you know that if I well, the Adonko was there? Your song was had Adonko in it, the Adonko better was there. But how should you know the lyrics to put it in the why if I to bring about that emotion?

SPEAKER_03

Okay. So this is when creativity comes in. I am a creative person. You tell me what you want, and I deliver I have to do it with my creation. Just like um a designer, somebody who sold clothes. You go to town, you buy your material, you take the material to a tailor, he just starts using scissors to cut across everybody. You will get angry when you see him doing that. But when you picture what you are gonna get in the end, you will just keep quite for him to destroy the clothes anyhow you want. So, this is what happened. FDA has their regulations, relewicks and stuff. So when you take it to them, they will listen to it and tell you to change this line, change this line, change this line. So the first one I did, that's what I said. I don't call the emo da because they told me that Omudia Haban in Nibranana, which is a medicine. That's when I brought that line in.

SPEAKER_01

That's what they told you. Yes. So and who was this? Is it your friend? My friend, the producer or the company, the producer.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, I didn't know the company, I didn't know the company, I didn't know who was. I didn't know him. I don't was even for Dr. Kokoti. I've heard his name, I know him from the line, but I didn't know he was behind it. So he brought, I did it and I sent it to him. He took it to Dr. Cocoti and the team, and they were all in love with the song.

SPEAKER_01

Which is the dinami nine sort?

SPEAKER_03

Yes, even they started playing it on radio. That was a demo before they took it to FDA. So FDA told them to change that line. When you say an emerginome, it's like advertising a medicine, but it's it's it's an alcoholic drink, it's to compel people to drink it too much, so change that line. So they brought it to me, and I was I I changed it to it. So that line was there, and then later brought it again to change it. The Maya fine, the Maya fine. So they brought it to me. I was like, Okay, I don't call the mood.

SPEAKER_01

And then they accepted that one. I think at this point, you I need I want to hear that can you give us a demonstration of uh of the of this of the song? We want to hear the the original against uh you want it live from the street. Give us life, give us live with that before. Then you come to set up your your shika, your featured.

SPEAKER_03

So let me show my viewers what I'm gonna do now. Yeah, this is castaned, castan it, and she will call it fruitwa. Yeah, the gun people call it, and then I take off my shoe. Yeah, luckily for me, me the Vaselina straw in a won't see. It looks nice. I put this one on the floor because and your baby and I'm calling your carpet, it's the way to hold so that it will not roll out because this goes to my second tool on my foot, and this is cochlear. You all know what kuchka is, it's coming to my left ankle, so it comes here, and I fix it here. The reason why I'm I'm using the wrapper, money wrapper is because it stretches and then it helps me hold it, and then I have my baby girl here. This is called kapu. Guitar is used. We use it when we want to play and get all the bass on the guitar, but I don't call it was played on C. The key is C. I produced it myself, so key C is here. So this is the rhythm.

SPEAKER_01

There is a one, two, three, one. Yeah. There is a the there is a attack.

SPEAKER_05

Attack the jinjao was played on Daniel D Dell.

SPEAKER_03

So that's I thought you did that.

unknown

Wow.

SPEAKER_03

Indeed. The one with the good.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, Dr. Yahoo. This is a mark of a genius. Of course. Absolute genius. I couldn't even figure out the difference between the the original and Ataji Jinja. The Ataji Ginger and the original Adunku. Yeah. It was blended. And you see, it's genius in product selling because people still understand that you are selling an Adunku product. Yeah. And you're able to communicate that so seamlessly. And it's something that I am fascinated about the craft.

SPEAKER_06

The craft.

SPEAKER_01

Unfortunately, well, fortunately, unfortunately, you had done your song. You were telling me before the cameras were rolling about what the Adonko actually meant. I want you to for our viewers. When you say, because you know, you understand the insinuation people cast when it's at Famiko. What was your original thought? When it was the Seesaw thing, was that is the Adonko? It's Adonko. Did you think that people, well, in the video, in the TV commercial that they produced, they put someone on the Cesaw. They were swinging them. Yeah. Did you think that people would take it the way people take it now? You and I know how people take it. Of course, yeah. Did you think, because I think that was one of the main thing, one of the main reasons why this went very viral. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

So we in music, even those who did literature and then stuff, we call something wordplay. We call something metaphor. So wordplay, it's similar to metaphor. You can put the two together to gain something. That lumba has that word play. You play with the words, it kind of sounds like this, but it is this. Let me move from the Adon Covid to the attackinha.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

People have been asking me, ah, yeah, did you say Opathi?

SPEAKER_03

Like, I never heard it. Take it like that. But if you take it to the other side, say you know, so it's a word play. It keeps you thinking. You see, so like when somebody calls me for a commercial like that, I don't think about the commercial itself. I think about the impact the commercial will make on the society. Two, I know kids will be listening to what we are doing, and the kids will eventually grow. I know people would want to entertain themselves. So what I do is I do music, I don't do adverts, I don't do commercials, I do music. So every advert I've done for people, I have the data.

SPEAKER_01

So it's music. You don't see it as you doing.

SPEAKER_03

I don't see it as me doing a commercial, I do music.

SPEAKER_01

So when the when the commercial impact hits, how does it make you feel?

SPEAKER_03

You see, most people don't know the face behind it. So I'm free. But when I hear it, I'm like, yeah, what would you?

SPEAKER_01

And that is why we are putting we are putting your face out there.

SPEAKER_03

Because you see, I am the type that uh I don't like showing off. You see, there are two girls here who work with them, but they don't know I'm the one who did office.

SPEAKER_01

They don't?

SPEAKER_03

You can ask them. I don't talk. I only talk when I see you, and we'll talk about what we are supposed to talk about right there. When we are done, I'm gone. And when I'm here, I'm different. When I'm on stage, I'm different. When I move out, I'm different. That's how I am.

SPEAKER_01

It took me a while to find out that you are the one who produced this.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, because I didn't add that to any of my posts anywhere. Yeah, the reason behind that was in fact I had an issue with FB. Tell us. I had done, I had one mentor, and I'm classified as a celebrity. I at that time come in, and then I had that they uh brought the rule uh closes that is alcohol. Yes, celebrities don't do that. I had already done the song, and then I had to use it for this one. I can't call somebody else to come and sing the song, and then my voice fits to the song. So if I give it to someone else to sing it, or best anymore. So, what did they say? So uh they asked me, I was like, Mimi, yeah, I did that long ago. They did their research and they realized that yes, I released the song long ago, so it means that they can't do anything about that, so they left it, so I couldn't attach my image to the Adunko advert because I'll be taken to court if I do. So I disassociated myself and I left my voice to go. Yeah, and then you there was a disappointment in between me and my guy.

SPEAKER_01

I told that who put you on, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

That's time I had learned about you know, when I was learning all those things, I was reading a lot about copyrights and all those things because I realized that one yeah will be a new man, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So I had to learn everything myself, and you were still you still didn't have a record label.

SPEAKER_03

I didn't have a record label, I didn't have anybody who had insight about that. So, what I told him is oh, the new money when you take a song to them and they like it, call me, let me go and sit down and discuss my business with them. The next time I heard the song was everywhere.

SPEAKER_01

Wow, what was his explanation?

SPEAKER_03

The song was everywhere. He said, in fact, I called him several times close to eight months. I think so. You know, there's something I believe in spirituality. I'm a spiritual, very spiritual person. So I believe that if God wants to do something for you and he wants it to get to the right way, he will lead you. I went to Kumasi 2017. I had a very good friend, a radio presenter. And she was like, Yeah, what about Kumasi? There, and we're done about interview. So come, she was a Sika FM. So on Saturday, he put me on. I was a main artist, invited guest on the show, where she interviewed me about stuff, story, all those things. And I started playing my songs. In fact, she started playing my songs. So she had all the songs, she had the original version of the I don't go and everything. So I said it on air that you know, I want to give the songs to my fans for free. So I mentioned a number that WhatsApp this number say hi, and we'll send you the song. Well, people, a lot of people said hi. So I grouped all of them and I sent a song to them. Not that one, I sent Adonko, I sent injection, I sent opportunity. Those songs I had done those times. So I was there, and one guy WhatsApp me. Nice song. So, do you have the original? He replied to the Adunko song. I was like, This is the original, the advert is just a version I did. They were like, So you did the advertising? I was like, Yeah, so okay. My name is Susan Su. I am the preaching's manager for Adonko. Can you come to the office on Monday? Wow, I'm like, okay. No, no, he was my fan from Mento. Wow, but what was going on? He said, according to me, he said he was just flipping the radio and he heard the song playing. Adonko Famiko, and so he paused and listened to it. And later, when the song calls, I said, please WhatsApp this number, I'll give you all the songs. So he took the number and WhatsApp. He thought I stole the adverts, did my song out of it, so they were coming to me. We're coming for me. He was operations manager for me. So maybe I'm a formal copyright wave, so they were coming at me. No, no, I am I am rather good.

SPEAKER_02

I was even looking for them.

SPEAKER_03

So when I went to his office on a Monday, when I entered, when I knocked and I entered the office, he didn't know I was the one there. He saw stone from mentor. So we're talking, we're telling him, like, oh guy, be back home. I said so big, do I have what's happening? That I'm in the car, I'm almost there. So what's he would do him? Let me. He was out and I was like, new, stone. I said, Oh there, oh me, I'll be your fan. You can't have a you come now, they tell you I'll be your fan for mentor. So if you do them, so that's not how they come. He just went to call the marketing manager. He wasn't around, he brought the assistant marketing manager. He also came to listen to me, and then they arranged for a meeting between me and Doctor. Okay. Wow. So he was out of town, and then they gave me a date, and I went there. So you know, they made me sit there from morning till evening until every appointment was done. And then he came, the assistant marketing manager took me to Doctor Papa, Obaninyu. Like me, but now yeah, I don't call you now wash your share now. Ah, stone, only four beam and I better be scared. Oh no, too took a crana. One to Amin Casa. Like Minimana Man here.

SPEAKER_04

It was like I didn't out and say, Wait, original one in a minute.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, okay. No, two adverts. So transit transit was pulling a drawer. So that's nasty. By the time I sat down, five thousand cities was in front of me. Faway took credits. Then I'm in your mouth.

SPEAKER_01

So the rumor around that you got paid five hundred cities for the jingle wasn't true.

SPEAKER_03

No, no, the rumor is true. Say the guy who told me to do the song sent me 500 CD for studio fee.

SPEAKER_01

So it wasn't payment for the commercial PC. No, it was for studio fee. So technically, you didn't get paid for the jingle until I went there. And you met Dr. Kukotti himself.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, that was when he gave me money. In fact, what I went to discuss with him, he hadn't agreed to it, but he was giving me money. Wow. I'll be like, I'll be there three months, you come in. Yeah, let's say Brackmaster, I'll go here with me 10,000. Maybe I won't come on your biddy water. I went to discuss royalty agreement with him. But because there's one thing about Ghanaian companies, if you are not smart, you won't get them to sign royalty agreement. What they do is they are not multilateral companies, so they are not able to understand the royalty agreement. So you have to use your head. I was like, okay, daddy, and yeah, he said that to me. I was like, okay, and yeah, they have any say me, yes, you will be animal sponsor. So when I'm doing an event, I'll take the proposal to them, you know, secretaries and other people will make it delay.

SPEAKER_04

But when he sees me, oh yeah, propose ornaments, me and Shimon saying I hope I will oh J.

SPEAKER_01

So you have a really good relationship with Dr.

SPEAKER_03

I don't have a problem with him. So when he was doing when he was doing the when he did that, his secretary called I picked it up like yeah, Papa's new workers are the man took uh stone headside. I'll do go attached with the yinny yeah some phone mobile money was uh 30 minutes and so pneumon uh numbers in the doors.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, manager sometimes it happens like that.

SPEAKER_03

So when I'm done, I send a song to them, they will enjoy the song, play, enjoy it like yeah, okay, FDA funny can't be a bit so the FDA will be back and forth. They'll I'll write the lyrics to them, they'll mark it and they'll bring it for us too. So I have a good relationship with um Dr. Koko, and then they are paying me forever until they stop playing the song. Until they stop playing the song.

SPEAKER_00

Do they say why they stopped playing?

SPEAKER_03

Until they have not stopped, okay.

SPEAKER_01

They will give me money until they stop playing. And the song is still playing.

SPEAKER_03

So whenever I go, I'm going to take my money.

SPEAKER_01

So who owns the song? You or I don't go?

SPEAKER_03

I own the song. Okay. I am I'm the writer of the song. Copyright of the song.

SPEAKER_01

You notice you produced it.

SPEAKER_03

I wrote it, I produced it. So I you composed the song. I composed the song, you performed the song, and you produced it. So the only part they own is when they promoted the song. So the ownership of the song is mine, not theirs. But you don't have any written agreements with them. I don't even need the written agreements. In the copyright laws, it's like you, you are a citizen. The constitution is protecting you. You know your rights. You know what you're supposed to do and what you are not supposed to do. You don't even need to go and write it in a contract to a policeman that when I'm just walking on the street, you can't come and search me unless you have warrant. You understand what I'm saying? So the copyright laws tell me, the writer, the producer, that it is my bona fide property. We have difference between intellectual property and bona fide property. Once you create it from your head, you brought it out first time for people to hear. It's your bona fide property. So whatever goes around it, I can remix it and give it to another company. They can't do anything. Anything. It is my soul.

SPEAKER_01

But out of goodwill, you won't do that.

SPEAKER_03

See if somebody brings me good money, me I do.

SPEAKER_01

Hey, Dr. People's listening to you. You are loyal to the money.

SPEAKER_03

I'm I'm loyal to my job. The company can sit down and choose a different artist to do their advert for them. Just like they did with Kwame Yuji. Um, I don't go next level. Next level. Yes, so they chose.

SPEAKER_01

How did you feel about it when they went with Kwame Yujin?

SPEAKER_03

I didn't feel anything about it. You know what? There's one thing about me and the industry and music that I don't get hurt when somebody does something and it is not me. I am not the only musician in Ghana. How can a company say I'm working with one artist and they stay on one artist? I heard the ball range over for him. I don't have a problem. The difference between me and Kwame Eugene is though I came into the industry earlier before him, by that time, he had one artist of the year. Every company will go to him, even if they give him private gestures. I shouldn't have a problem with that because he has a record label that has promoted him to that level. So if I don't go pick him, give him$50,000 and give him Range Rover.

SPEAKER_04

I am not there. I'm not the artist of the year.

SPEAKER_03

So why should I get worried about that? There are some events that go on outside Ghana. When I get there and they are there, they don't even look at them, they look at me. So I never had a problem with that. Never ever. The only part I got offended was they called me earlier to do the advertising that I don't connect.

SPEAKER_01

Next level, okay. I recorded the same process the secretary called you, or was it Dr. Koko himself?

SPEAKER_03

The secretary, Dr. Kokoti was outside Ghana. So the secretary called me. He even sent she even sent a voice note that Papa said yeah, the energy drink be but if I don't connect level to you. You know, whenever I go there and they give me money, I make sure everybody is sorted before I move out.

SPEAKER_01

Or I take the money.

SPEAKER_03

You understood that at the age of oh, I take my money, I go, everybody has a mobile money. So I'll call in patch all one more credit, no, but one more credit in particular. So sorted. So if I say I want to see a doctor, nobody stops me, nobody blocks me.

SPEAKER_01

And you understood that rules of engagement.

SPEAKER_03

So, like as we are here, if somebody comes, me, I am like that. As we are here, one, two, three, four, as we are in this room. If somebody enters and discuss business with me, and it's about money, when I get paid, I'll call all of you. You get your credit. The reason is you were here when it came. Maybe, maybe I'm more lucky by that's how I am. I don't mind sharing money with people around me, and everybody I've worked with know. So everybody still works with me. Uncle, me because when I get it, sometimes I could we me and my band, we can go and play a show. We discuss me who this cannot be my ministry. So sometimes when I take the money, I give it to the band later, you know, manchess, chairman boys and coffee. I sit in my car driver. Okay, so next time when I call them, they will come. Everybody I've worked with from day one still working with me. So the only part I said I got offended was I recorded the advert three songs waiting to hear from them. I didn't hear anything again. The only thing I saw was Kami Usion was all over. Okay, it was in 2020, COVID. In fact, the song, the adverts, article one was the one who took the vocals. He was the one who recorded the vocals. I was boy, true, took baby boy honey and he said, Okay, so then I do it. We work together. The next level, they don't go next level. So when they all hear article was like, Boy, no one denied. I was like, uh boy, it's a band. I was like, oh wow, the company is what I saw the way.

SPEAKER_01

Do you think if you if you had a record level at the time, even your deal with producing the very first jingle, you would have gotten a better deal, or you are you are satisfied with what you got, or you've gotten all this.

SPEAKER_03

You see, when I say I'm satisfied, I can be satisfied. Nobody can be satisfied. You eat today, your stomach gets full, you're not satisfied because you eat again tomorrow. So when you are talking about satisfaction when it comes to money, nobody is satisfied. No amount of money can satisfy any man on this earth. So, but I think if I had a record label, things would have been different. But even without a record label, I learned my lessons. I learned my lessons. So whenever somebody brings a deal, a commercial, I've done a lot of I've done like almost eight to twelve commercials.

SPEAKER_01

So Adonko brought the rest to me.

SPEAKER_00

So what what are the other what are the rest?

SPEAKER_03

Onga, kasapreku, omega.

SPEAKER_00

Which cast kasapreco?

SPEAKER_03

Alomo gold. It's recent. Um kumasi beates. Mumra mi unko kumasi beates. Kumasi. That's me. Um other drinks. Um this um there's a new drink, and there's an oil, oh hinewa cooking oil. Okay. Um another drink called Vieja Beatles. Another drink also called uh. Another drink called uh what's the name of that new drink? Charlie Beatles. You've done quite a number of beatest because when they hear the Adonko Advert, they'll be looking for who did the Adonko.

SPEAKER_01

Why do you think that's a bit?

SPEAKER_03

Because I made Adonko hit.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, but why do you what what about the Adonko Beatles? Do you do you think made it hit? The advert.

SPEAKER_03

The song.

SPEAKER_01

The song, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

The originality of the high life rhythm I used and the instrumentations. You see, when I'm playing the beats, I like using live instruments to play my beat. When for I came, she saw me playing bass guitar. I was I'm producing a new song. Yeah, yes, of course. I I'm producing a new song. I'm working on my album. I have like 365 songs ready for the market.

SPEAKER_01

Maybe 165.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I've recorded like 700 songs, but 365 is ready.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I was not doing 100.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, you I will open the folder to you. You are in my studio.

SPEAKER_01

You are going to my studio. Over what period?

SPEAKER_03

So, ever since I knew how to play my own beat.

SPEAKER_01

And this was when you got came back to Accra and you were. With article one. Yes. After Mentor. After Mentor. So this is almost 10 years, or more than 10 years. 14 years. 700 songs over a period of 14 years.

SPEAKER_03

So what happens is in the afternoon, other artists will come to studio. You know, it's not only article one that we are a clique. So episode Ruby, Rashid Meta, Jupiter. Yes, Jupiter, uh Bandy Boy, um, a couple of people. All of those studio. Which studio is that? That you know, uh uh Bannabi, our guy is called Bannabi. Okay, so the studio was called Wilder Studio. He opened it and told us that he is giving us the studio. We should do anything we can do.

SPEAKER_01

I have a very unpopular opinion. Yeah, you know, before Adonko Famiko, me, it's my favorite jingle of all time. Of all time, I promise you there have been many jingles. Yes, and Uncle Freddy has produced some of these very iconic jingles. He produced Coral Range, he produced some of the very most iconic singles, but I don't go with my favorite. Yeah. Were you did you listen to any of those jingles that I've mentioned?

SPEAKER_03

No. Yeah, I heard them when I was young, uh Coral Range. In fact, Patty, the dancer who did it, uh, he performed with me on my mentor final day. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So I but it you wouldn't say that it had any inspiration gave you any inspiration or sort.

SPEAKER_03

See, that kind of didn't know what that was. I didn't even know that it was called TV commercial.

SPEAKER_01

You were just doing music.

SPEAKER_03

I've been doing music. They said of radio uh 45 minutes. I was like, okay, I'll do 45 minutes song for you. So I don't call it 45 seconds, I call it song or I call it music, I don't call it jingle. Me, I don't call it jingle, I call it a song or music. I do music. So growing up, coming, learning now that we're a com TV commercial, we wear a radio commercial, where this we are this. If I did Cassapa, I did that really, I've done a lot, I know my family, a lot of radio stations are have done commercials for them. So in fact, the Kasapa 102.5, and one named was at one voice after I sang and he gave the talk. So we've done a lot too. We've done a lot of things. When I was in the mentor house, he was the one designing my flyer and all this.

SPEAKER_01

He's a graphic designer, that's right. Oh, you you said you've done some jingles currently. What are you producing any jingles that we should be looking forward to?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I'm currently doing one for um an oil called Oh Hinewa Cooking Oil. Yeah, but that one I want a female voice. I've sung it, I'm calling my female singer, she'll come and sing it, and I'll send it to them.

SPEAKER_01

Is there anyone in the works that Ghana should should should be looking forward to?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, right now Kumasi Beatles is making it. Mummy, uncle Kumasi Beatles, Kumasi. You know that one too was my song. I know mommy, uncle Kumasi, Kumasi is my song. They heard it on radio that one day, so I have my deal with it.

SPEAKER_01

It was an original song as well.

SPEAKER_03

So the original song is also so right now. So this is how I do it. When I realize the company is not a multilateral company, they can't pay that much of money. So, what I do with them is okay, I'm taking a studio fee of this amount. I mentioned the amount. Of course, they can bargain with me when it reaches the level I like, I take it. But then after FDA approves the song and you are ready to use it, we sit down and we discuss royalty. Or I take some amount every year. Oh, I can't pay that, I can pay this. Okay, let's sign a contract.

SPEAKER_01

Take it so your royalty is as long as you're paying it every year, you are paying a certain amount to me.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, to me. You see, when I went, um, when I went to um um you know doctor wanted to give me money, a huge one, but I calculated, I pre-calculated that money he was giving.

SPEAKER_01

Like a one time, he wanted to give you a one time that time.

SPEAKER_03

If I had taken the money, like I said, but the amount I have taken from him that like in big trenches is more than oh I came across a story that you had sued Adoku.

SPEAKER_01

Is it true?

SPEAKER_03

I never sued Adonko. What happened was when I was looking for my guy and I wasn't getting him, I was just looking for a way to get them to talk to them. So a lot of people advised me that I should take it to court, and then I thought about it because I, in fact, I sat down thoroughly going through my mind, thinking about that being an artist, an up-and-coming artist, having a grudge with a huge company like that, what will the future be for me? What will the future be like for me? Because as a young artist, you don't fight a company, go and sit down and talk to them, agree on something, and then you go instead of taking them to court. Tic Tac dat with Malcolm, he did because tic-tac, whatever he will gain in the industry, he hasn't it. I am now coming. If I start fighting companies, this is Africa. We they don't understand the laws and things like that, so they will say we're to know, and then you for all you know, the companies they are connected, and it's true. One marketing manager leaves this company and is working with the next company, and they want you. The person who made me do adverts for Kumasi Bitness was working with Adunko. So when he left Adunko, went to Kumasi Bites, the Kumasi Bitness wanted to make a hit.

SPEAKER_01

He reached out to you, so he reached out to me.

SPEAKER_03

If you had any bad relationship with him at Adonis, the person who went to Casa Preco now, Kevin League, who called me, he was working with Adunko. The person who brought the oil business, oil ad, he was working with Adunko. You understand? The person who brought the BH advert, he was working with Adunko.

SPEAKER_01

So would you say that managing yourself as an artist or managing the relationship between an artist and brand when it comes to producing jingles or music and advertising, it's more of a relationship-based thing than any form of contractual agreement.

SPEAKER_03

Of course, in Ghana, here let me say, okay, I am a Ghanaian, so let me talk about Ghana. In Ghana, yeah. We give much respect to relationships that papers. You understand? Somebody can take you to court based on a land litigation. You have your papers, and he has his papers. One chief can call the two of you and be like, okay, only my email, we are Sassy for now for OD and YDB was if the other person agrees, the two of you have a good relationship. If you want to keep it in court, after court, you guys cannot play it again. That was when you see that they have a land, you've divided it. One is here, one is here, and they are always fighting. This is what happens in Africa, in fact, Ghana. So if an artist is dealing with a company, you have to give much attention to the relationship first because the CEO, the founder of the company will always be there. But the workers might rotate. If I'm taking a don't to I don't go to court that time, I will not take Dr. Kokotin to court. First person I will attack is the one who shot the advert, the one who called me. And then to go to the marketing manager, go to the secretary before he reaches the man. So automatically, and when they leave to work with you again, they wouldn't want to work with me. If they leave to another company, they won't come back to you. In fact, these new companies that I'm doing advert for that I have had contract with them, I have paper, contractual papers with them. The people who brought them, they're they were from Adunko. So, what I do is um those who used to work with Adonko, when they bring you, they'll have like, oh now I'm on the record label. So let me give it to the record label for them to handle it. Oh, we want to deal with you, like, okay. Tell me what you want to hear, I'll tell the label. So they will tell me, I'll discuss with the label, and they will come. So when we finish doing the advertising, I'll like when I finish recording the song, I'll be like, This time around, I can continue communicating from here again. So I'm giving you to manager the rep, then I give it to them. I connect them because that time they have this, they've heard the song, they like it, and they will do business. That's why I don't do ad, but I do song. If you don't take it, I just change the lyrics, put my lyrics in it, I bring it out. It's my song. So I don't I don't I don't have problem with waste. I don't say I've wasted, I've I've never wasted time in a studio.

SPEAKER_01

So for you, the there's a power dynamic, right? The brand has the money, you have the talent, or you have the voice. The brand wants something you have. Yes, what is the power dynamic typically for you as an artist who has such enormous talent? You see, um, when you're working with brands.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, you see, brands they are the same people who sponsors our events, they're the same people. If Adonko does not sponsor, Kumasi Bites will sponsor, if Kumasi does not sponsor, um Frital will sponsor, if Fritol does not bank whatever it is. I've done an advert for a bank, I think. Is it Omini Bank? Yeah, currently. Okay, they are working on it because of what I did for Adonko. Whenever somebody hears that, oh, he's the one who did Adonko for me, go okay, then bring him on board. Because they know what I can do. So, you see, the dealing with brands, you have to be very careful. I am a brand also. I need to protect my brand and also protect your brand, and you have to protect my brand too. So, mostly the conversation and the dealings we do, I don't put it out there. It is between me and the company and how much they pay me. Some some of the companies, I do that right for them without even taking a penny. But in the end, we have something on paper. I've seen uh a startup company who comes to me that we want you to do this for us, but we don't have money. We're like, okay, I'm also an entrepreneur, I believe in startups. Okay, I'll do it for you. Pay studio fee, I'll give you a period of six weeks to play the advert on TV. From that period going, you start paying me royalty. Because that time you have made money.

SPEAKER_01

So, do you usually also discuss how many the number of times the account play? So, for instance, you're saying that I don't go, for instance, beginning of the year or end of the year, you go and take um some royalty of the state.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, I just whenever whenever I go to Dr. Kokotin's office, I don't just go there anyhow. I don't just get up and go to him. No, I go there when I know that there's something going on.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, but when you go, do you have you is there an existing agreement that says that I don't go can play my song or can play the jingle 5,000 times on air throughout the whole year?

SPEAKER_03

You see, you can't determine that, even if you go and discuss that with them, who is going to monitor it? You can't track it. That's the system we have now. That's why we are trying to help the government to do through the creative arts and stuff. They have to bring a system that can track all those for us. Let's say I discuss with Adonko, they will play it 10 times on Adome FM. How many times are they playing on Ating FM? How many times are they playing on um um UTV, PCFM and stuff? I can't go and count all that. Also, okay, if you say they are playing it on radio, how many times? 50 times a day, okay. What about social media? Which platform? So you have Facebook, TikTok, which platform are they playing? How can you monitor that? So the the that when I give it to the distributors, they will monitor that anybody who uses it for a video monitor is that and then we see where we are taking them from. So all those things now we look at them and then you have to be vigilant and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so the right now there's there's a lot in the creative industry. If you have to rewrite the rules for how advertising is done or music and advertising is done, what would you do?

SPEAKER_03

I will squash the FDA law they brought. Why? Who teaches somebody what to drink? The person chooses it. The person chooses what to drink. The first time I had alcohol, I was 18 years and above. That was the first time I tasted alcohol. And it didn't nothing to me. Somebody will also taste it, and then the whole day the person will be vomiting and be sleeping. So at the end of the day, it is written on the bottle, drink responsibly. Why should you tell us that we shouldn't advertise? What about the other countries?

SPEAKER_00

They are saying that you have a lot of influence over the youth, over the kids.

SPEAKER_03

Over the kids. Okay. I did Adunku in 2016. From 2016 till now, if a kid was like six years who was enjoying the song, how old would that kid be by now?

SPEAKER_00

They will be almost past uh the age limit for drinking.

SPEAKER_03

Of course. So what did I influence them to drink? A kid will not go and buy a drink, they will only enjoy the song. Kids who that were enjoying my songs that time are now my fans. They've grown to become my fans. And the kids who knew I did that uncle, they are now my fan base. You see, this is why. Let me show you the difference between live band, artists who plays live band, and artists who plays my man. Look how um you see Samini, um, you see Sarko there, you see Stone Boy, you see their fan base. Now look at that Lumba, Patomas, and those people. They also have their fan base. Where are they?

SPEAKER_01

Where are they? I see. Oh, most of them have passed. That Lumba and Patomas, they are fanbies, they are older. Yes.

SPEAKER_03

So they are the ones who have companies, they are the corporate people, they are the big men, they are the that's why Patomas will be celebrating his birthday. You put us on, I'll be performing on stage, and I'll see the president walking to sit. You understand? If I go and call the president, he won't come. So the artists they grow with their fans. So wherever you are able to establish your fans, you grow with them. Some people are diehard fans, they will never stop following you or supporting you, they'll be with you till you are dead, and even if you die, they'll fight.

SPEAKER_01

They are fighting, they are the diehard fans. From everything we've heard, the the jingle gave you more exposure than it gave you money.

SPEAKER_03

No, because they didn't the jingle. I never put my face on any of the jingles.

SPEAKER_01

But people, when people hear that you did their don't go, those who knows me, they give you they give you business, they give me business, those who knows me.

SPEAKER_03

So it exposed me to businessmen, exactly, not fans, because it didn't bring me other fans because my face wasn't there. But I I can say that you see, everything there's a step. I the last time I overheard TikTok discussing about their ash format that they did years ago. He said he got nothing, not even a penny for me. But the subsequent ones he made money from it. I think Adonko was a stepping stone for me to step on it so people can see that hey, this nigga can do this and do that. All the other companies coming, they are giving me money, and I'm taking much more than what I took.

SPEAKER_01

You took for Adonko.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. And I'm still taking. Suppose so far as they bring the adverts, I'll do it, and then I'll charge you. I put my money on it. Not too high, but what we will discuss, what we will agree is what we'll do. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

A junior Yellowstone has just one mentor again. It's 2026. And they are setting out, and they come to tell you that the brand has reached out to them because they've one mentor, the brand has reached out to them to run to produce a jungle for them. What would be your one advice to them?

SPEAKER_03

I will advise them to learn about the copyright laws first. Because me, I had to go through struggle before going back to learn.

SPEAKER_01

You had to learn the hard way.

SPEAKER_03

I had to learn the hard way. See, now I am under a record label. But you know what happened? I am the one who wrote the contract. Have you ever heard that before? An artist writing the contract. You write your own contract. Have you ever heard that before? No. It's because of the conversation we had. In fact, the label, the CEO and the founder has never seen me with his, he has never seen me in person before. They live in US. They met me on TikTok.

unknown

Yes.

SPEAKER_00

What's the name of the record label?

SPEAKER_03

LEB Entertainment. They met me on TikTok. Called me. Yeah, but say anyway. I didn't believe that because a lot of people call me. In fact, I have like eight contracts in my room. I didn't I've not thrown them away. They are there. I'll show it to my kids. When they grow. That's one contract when they were all downloaded. I read when I go through the contract.

SPEAKER_02

I realized all of them they downloaded the contract and they printed it, just did the editing, put their record because all the clauses are the same.

SPEAKER_03

And that is what some of the artists signed and they locked them up. I'm not signed at all. You know, you know, go download contracts to me and then I go sign on me. I don't go sign. Let us sit down. Because they may end up. And I'll say we see cash. Your money versus my creativity. Let's sit down and agree on something. So we started talking, discussing, and blah blah blah. I realized he was different from others who called me. So I just left it. It took like three, four months. I didn't hear from him again. One day I was just there, he called again. Yao. Oh, and I was like, I'm a studio. Oh, Charlie, me, Petroska.

unknown

I was like, okay.

SPEAKER_03

Now he started from there. I was like, okay. So I drove to Kindi's house, I went to give him the data. We hadn't signed contract. I was just following what he was saying because I want to know whether he's serious or I went to Kindi. I gave the data to Kindi, he drove back home. I was there, he was like, Kindi now to you, so past three months, and then Kindi, he sent me the songwork. Kindi is done with the song.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Ah, yeah. So how do we shoot the video? I thought I've spoken to this, I've spoken to that, I've spoken to that, I've spoken out that ah, yeah, that's serious. Already contract as a move. I was there, he sent me a video of a DJ playing the song on YFM. I was like, ah, already. Yeah, DJs do not send out. Let's see how we can do this promo. Or like, no, nigga, let's talk well. But I was like, Oh, chama, you're in this classic contract to how do we do it? Okay, maybe. And then he sent the contract. I was like, boss, contract, we have a man to go by an demo. It's like sound, I was like, Sound I had a CC.

SPEAKER_01

Was it one of the downloaded contracts?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. It was like, okay, and you're watching. So I sat down and then I wrote the contract. And I the contract I he sent was like six pages. What I wrote was like two pages, but it has everything in it. What again? So he reviewed it and was like, Yeah, like, we are talking about the ownership of the song. Okay, so in copyright laws, I am the one who wrote the song. He didn't buy song from a songwriter for me. I wrote the song. So in spite of anything, the lyrics belong to me. Also, I produced it. The beats belongs to me. But Kindi mixed and mastered it. So he worked on it. He works with you. Now you are bringing your money to promote the song. So as far as we have the paper and percentages, you own that percentage of that song. So if it is 60 40, you own 60% of the right to the song for now, for the number of years that we are working together. So after the number of years, then we sit down to discuss what to do with it. Then we can agree on okay, the song belongs to you 50% for a period of five years, or you want to have full ownership for a period of two years. I can give it to you. But to own the song completely, you can't own.

SPEAKER_01

the song completely because I wrote it in spite of everything I can do remix to the song anytime any day and for as long as the song is sorry as long as the song is around and as long as you get paid you get you get you get some you get money yes so that's what we agreed wow and then we signed the deal we signed a contract on my birthday released the song on my birthday I played my first show under LEB on my birthday wow my birthday happened to be on Friday last year so that was what we did and then from that time the label has been doing whatever is on the paper they've been very consistent consistent and I'm also doing what I'm doing so looking at myself from all this time coming my numbers my approach engagement and stuff it has changed Dr.

SPEAKER_00

Yo Stone thank you so much