“Numbers do not matter when I’m making music,” rapper M.anifest has stated, explaining that his focus in the studio is creativity rather than charts or streaming figures, even though he understands the business realities that follow a release.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Pidgin, he noted that numbers only begin to matter after the music is released, when commercial returns come into play.

“Numbers do not matter when I’m making music, but when we are done and it goes out into the world, of course, the business side is important to us because we want to make money,” M.anifest expressed.

'Popularity doesn’t equal wealth' – M.anifest

Touching on Ghana’s musical heritage, M.anifest also welcomed the official inclusion of Highlife music and dance on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for 2025, describing it as a cultural milestone that honours over a century of musical innovation.

“Highlife is never going to die; Highlife is part of our DNA. Currently, I can mention many artistes who are incorporating Highlife into their sounds, whether it’s Arathejay, Black Sherif, or Beeztrap. The Highlife DNA is still strong,” he added.

Highlife music from Ghana was officially added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for 2025 in December 2025.

It also secures Highlife’s status as a protected cultural treasure with worldwide relevance.

UNESCO’s listing covers Highlife as practised in Ghana, acknowledging its musical structures, performance styles and social roles.

Watch the video below:

BBC Pidgin come biz me some tings as I dey the stu @bbcnewspidgin pic.twitter.com/RyDgMGATPo

— M.anifest (@manifestive) January 30, 2026