Ghanaian dancehall/reggae performer Epixode has responded to recent remarks made by Lord Kenya, a former secular artiste who is now a pastor, criticising the use of patois by many young Ghanaian musicians, describing it “not proper patois.”
In an interview on Okay FM in Accra, Epixode, while politely responding to criticism by Lord Kenya, called for mutual respect and acknowledgement of the work by younger generations in the music industry.
Epixode is well-known for his unique reggae sound and usage of Patois in his songs.
“I won’t get it 100%. It may sound clichéd to the ears of real Jamaicans. It’s like a Ga like me trying to speak Twi,” Epixode said, admitting that the version of Patois spoken locally may not be entirely authentic.
“What we speak here is not really Patois. No disrespect, but some of these comments make the young ones feel disrespected. They’ll say, ‘In your prime, we respected you, so why are you trying to trash our hard work in our prime?’ That becomes a problem,” he added.
Epixode underlined how crucial it is to view upcoming artists as carrying on the legacies of their predecessors rather than destroying them.
“I really don’t want to speak about that, but I think sometimes they should see us as continuing their legacy. Otherwise, the next generation will find themselves fighting them, and it’ll always continue like that. Let’s enjoy music. Whether it’s Patois or not…” he stated.
Epixode referred to legendary Ghanaian musician Kojo Antwi as an artiste with good music despite the language barrier.
“Most of Kojo Antwi’s reggae songs are not in Patois, but they are legendary records our children will come and enjoy. The language barrier is actually not the problem,” he said.
Despite his disapproval of his comments, Epixode acknowledged the impact Lord Kenya has had on his performing style while expressing appreciation for the former hiplife singer.
