Ghanaian dancehall star Shatta Wale has opened up about the financial hardship he endured despite being famous in his country.
The singer revealed that he once depended on his girlfriend for accommodation and stayed with her at her parents’ house because he could not afford a place of his own.
Speaking during a recent appearance on The Honest Bunch Podcast, Shatta Wale said fame did not automatically translate into financial success for him.
He recalled sleeping on the streets and using taxis to attend shows despite already being recognised as one of Ghana’s leading entertainers.
“As a star, I was sleeping on the street, as big as I am. At one point, my girlfriend, who was living with her parents, was the one accommodating me,” he said.
The musician added that his experience was not unusual, claiming that several Ghanaian artistes face similar financial difficulties behind the glamour associated with their careers.
Shatta Wale compares Ghanaian and Nigerian entertainers
Shatta Wale argued that Nigerians celebrate success and place greater value on their entertainers than Ghanaians do.
According to him, Ghanaian artistes often receive poor payments for performances, while their Nigerian counterparts earn significantly more and enjoy stronger support from the public.
“Nigerians appreciate success; Ghana doesn’t appreciate success. Even as a big Ghanaian artiste back then, I took taxis to shows. It was not just me; a lot of Ghanaian artistes did that,” he said.
He claimed that Ghanaian entertainers earn “pennies” compared with the substantial fees paid to Nigerian stars.
Shatta Wale urged his colleagues in Ghana’s entertainment industry to learn from Nigerian artistes by setting higher standards and demanding greater value for their work.
