Hip Hop not for the poor—Gambo

Ghanaian Hip Hop artiste, Gambo, has disclosed that the genre is a very expensive one, a reason why the nation cannot boast of too many rappers.

Per his description, Hip Hop is not for the poor so if one does not have money, one had better steer clear of it.

“I have been a lover of Hip Hop all my life. I have followed the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye West among others. I love their works and there is no doubt it is an expensive genre. If you are poor, just do not venture into it. That is why we have very few of them in our industry in Ghana.”

“It is expensive right from the lyrics. You see, in Hip Hop, people brag a lot and you need to have the things to show for it and here in Ghana, not many artistes can afford the lavish lifestyle—houses, cars, among others so they prefer other genres which do not require too much,” he told Graphic Showbiz recently.

“It is not just about the lyrics, even the models you use in your video need to be of a certain class. They should be beautiful with curves and they don’t come cheap so if you cannot afford them, you look at another genre”, he added.

Read more: Shugatiti, Moesha star in Gambo's 'Drip' video

Gambo said apart from showing off material things, a lot of money is needed to promote the songs produced.

“The music industry in Ghana is not friendly to Hip Hop. It takes a lot to get your works out there. I am talking about publicity etc. that is why even those who are into it are not consistent.”

“And when you are going for interviews, you need to have that Hip Hop look. You cannot be bragging about Lamborghinis and champagne in your videos and songs only for you to walk into an interview looking anyhow. From head to toe, you need to be dope.”

The need to reflect the showiness of the genre is why Gambo used actresses Moesha Boduong and Shuga Titi in the video of his second single, Drip which features Edem.

“Anyone who watches that video will know I mean business. I am in to change the face of the game. If you are a rapper even in the United States and you watch the video, you will respect my name. Again, I feel we have beautiful girls in Ghana and we have to show them off to the world,” he explained.

Asked if all he is talking about and showing in his video was not ‘audio money’ he said, “not at all. I can afford all of them. Like I said, I took time to study the genre and I know what I am about. Why didn’t I start all these years but recently? I am ready to take this genre to another level.”

Born Gambo Bashir, Gambo left for Guyana at age five and returned to Ghana when he was 11 years old to continue his basic education at SAPS International School where he completed in 2012.

He continued to Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High School (Legon),where his passion for music was ignited, and in February 2020, he debuted on the music scene in Ghana with his single Kwacha, which is Zambia and Malawi’s major currency unit.