It is becoming confusing by the day to define the role of an artiste Manager/Promoter and who employs who or who works for whom. When music started having its way in Sierra Leone, the managers were seen as the supremo actually controlling the artistes when they in fact make the money. On the other hand, the artistes have been accused of being ungrateful to their Manager/Promoters when they make money.
With such experiences, some music promoters in Sierra Leone have held back their promotions to some artistes and have actually gone to places like Nigeria, Guinea, Ghana and now Liberia to host shows for artistes from those countries. However, such moves have received countless criticisms from some of the Country's leading artistes who have alleged that their music is being suppressed for foreign ones or for artistes of certain promoters.
The artistes that started the salvo are from the Dry Yai Crew fame, A Klass and Pupa Bajah. But first it was Bajah who wrote on his Facebook wall that: "We will not sit back and see all money hungry promoters spoil our industry. It's about time Salone artistes believed that they have talent to come together and put an end to this coz this is our career. Now it's clear that DJs and promoters are trying to kill the real talent, just because they have their petty-petty artistes they promote. How can a DJ be a manger? He is just gonna play his artistes' songs and suppress real talents."
As if he knew he was being referred to, Abu Bakaar Boxx Konteh a.k.a D.J Boxx of Boxx Production replied thus: "Am now in to music business to do business not for fake fame or fun these days. Those days are far gone. I don't promote artistes that I am not doing business with. As an artiste, get a management or label to promote you. It's not my responsibility. Some of these greedy artistes want to chop all. Or do some of these artistes still think promoters/DJS/CEOS don't have a family to take a cheque home to? I signed SL, LIB & GUINEAN artistes and we do promote them to these countries. These artistes think a promoter gives out what the people want, what some of them need is to stop the blame game and focus on doing good music…. Nigerian artistes do shows in the U.S. and go back to build Nigeria, but we na so so tok tok. Why should I promote you? Am I your manager? Some SL artistes too busy using promoters/DJs/Managers and now your ungratefulness is getting to you."
Another member of Dry Yai Crew, Solomon Sandi a.k.a A Klass replied to DJ Boxx in this manner: "BOXX come on ...u already know we have played in all these places our brothers are playing now...and more bigger stages with big musicians with none of u guys helping.....but that is not the case, we're talking about here? The issue here is u guys should stop bringing all types of dumb songs to the country, forcing the media to play it forcing the people to like it just to kill hard work of your fellow Salone musicians. That song is way beyond the prestige of our industry. As a promoter u should know that. Don't just chase the money, make ur industry become a valuable one then u will make more money out of it. Not even the youngest artiste in S/L Chubby Asa will sing a childish music like that and u guys are there running up and down with it as if there are no good songs or album in the market. It's a shame."
One artiste by the name of Spider Man came in to ask A Klass whether he did not want to be invited to perform in other countries. Hardly could he finish when A Klass answered him that it was evident the shows they have performed in the States but stressed that the requests for them to go and perform in other countries came from Sierra Leoneans living in those countries. He however cynically asked, "You think Nigerians will ever come and take any big artist from Salone and pay them $40 thousand dollars 4 a night show ...twwwww ....we really need to start believing in our own products".
Pupa Bajah too responded that all the Nigerian artistes invited for the independence were just a joke because they think the whole thing was just joke as they were even stoned off stage because they were not performing seriously. We did great performance for our people but all they got was disappointment. "Artistes like us k man and many more had a lot of hit songs in our country than the artistes they invited and paid them such a huge sum."
Not contented or wanted to reply, DJ Boxx rolled in: "Yes Salone artistes will hit Nigeria and Emerson's songs are doing great here. Maybe it's what some of u are wishing for. I will never stand by and support one saying that Dry Eye Crew can't hit the international market but sometimes as super stars respect yourself n other, talk less and learn how to put your money your where your mouth is I have always proud of dry eye crew but times it doesn't work trying for people to like or feel sorry for u cause u think u not hitting them and end up putting the blame on people. It's the DJs, promoters, managers or SLMTV why won't u do your own promo"
A Klass hit again: "We are not selfish, what was our last hit, not a year ago? GEH GEH NA TROTE. So now tell me if we still not keeping up with the Salone music industry. The BAD Heart some of u guys are making can never, ever stop us. We just got signed by the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC but because of the black dirty way dae na we heart dem Salone man nor go ever recognize that. But it's not the case here ....una stop bringing all this dumb songs from nowhere to degrade our industry and disturbing the sales of other brothers who have good songs and album out ...in the market...is not Fair."
The struggle seems to continue or succinct to say the race for supremacy as it would create the forum for the underground artistes to suffer and safe to say destroying the music industry.
