Ghanaian rapper, Sarkodie and hip-life artiste, Tinny, are not musicians, high-life legend, Gyedu Blay-Ambolley has said.

According to him, the two can best be described as rappers and not musicians because they cannot put sounds together to make music.

In his opinion, musicians are people who are able to put sounds together and allow it to make sense for people to enjoy them.

Speaking on the Touch of Class on Class91.3FM on Thursday, 10 May 2018, the legend told show host Natalia Andoh that: “Many a time, I see the media calling Sarkodie a musician or calling Tinny a musician, no, they are rappers, they are not musicians”.

“Musicians are people who are able to put sounds together and allow it to make sense for people to enjoy it,” he explained.

The multiple award-winning musician noted that there is a difference between a musician and a composer, and, therefore, “people who call themselves musicians, they have to go back to the drawing board. They have to go back to school to learn how to play instruments”.

“There are some people who can compose music, the idea will come, and a melodic idea will also emerge, so, they will meet somebody and sing it to him, but they cannot arrange the music, they cannot say: ‘Guitar, you play that side or trumpet play this side’; they cannot do that, so, that person only becomes a composer but not a musician,” he stressed.

Ambolley is the first musician from Ghana to formally incorporate rap forms into local high-life rhythms.

He plays the saxophone and bass guitar.

The ‘Simigwa Do’ rapper will be honoured by Oak Plaza Hotel on 25 May 2018 for his contribution to the music industry.