Popular artiste manager Bullgod has added his voice to the debate on the Afro-Dancehall genre and who deserves credit for it.

According to him, although the sound has been labelled and popularised by Dancehall artiste Stonebwoy, the credit for its creation cannot be attributed to one person.

Speaking during a recent GhanaWeb X Spaces discussion on the origins and ownership of the genre on July 4, 2025, Bullgod acknowledged that the genre existed long before any one artiste adopted it.

He cited the evolution of Afrobeats, noting that artistes like Osibisa were shaping the sound before Fela Kuti, who later became recognised as its "father" because the wider Nigerian community chose to celebrate him.

“There are lots of people who contributed to making this happen. There’s the producer and a number of artistes who brought this to life.

“So collectively, if we want to say who labelled the sound, yes, I’m sure Stonebwoy, nobody will argue with him. But who founded or originated the sound?” he questioned.

He praised artiste Molly and her hit Shake It To The Max as a collective achievement for the genre and urged stakeholders to "claim this as a collective and stop the individual conversations."

“It’s divisive and it doesn’t help. This is the time we need to rally around it, harness it, push it, and give everybody who deserves credit their due, because no one man can do everything. No one man. It’s impossible,” he emphasised.

Bullgod warned that unless the industry unites by sharing credit, working collaboratively, and protecting the sound, it risks being taken over by others.

“If we don’t stop this and collectively claim and push it, somebody else or somewhere else will pick it up and run with it,” he cautioned.

ID/MA

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