Inspiration from someone’s song is not stealing - Kwesi Arthur

Ghanaian rapper, Kwesi Arthur has said getting inspiration from someone’s song is acceptable and should not be labelled as stealing or plagiarism.

The rapper had a discussion with Berla Mundi on the NewDay Show about his inspiration for his music. He mentioned that he is motivated by many musicians, including Tupac and Bob Marley(of blessed memory).

Speaking on the rampant issues of plagiarism in the industry, he said, “People take inspiration from everywhere. Even Picasso took inspiration from other people. Art is all about being inspired. If you are not inspired, you can not create. You need to be inspired to create. And sometimes other peoples sound might inspire yours. So it does not matter. Just make sure yours is better.”

He recounts the collaboration journey with Vic Mensa on his new single, Winning. Kwesi Arthur said he had always been a fan of Vic Mensa and took the opportunity to have him on the song when he came to Ghana in December last year.

He said, “I had the hook on me for a while. I played it for him and fell in love with it. He wrote the verse that night. So, I recorded him on my laptop. And then shoot the video the nest two days.”

Depending on his mood, Kwesi Arthur would either be a rapper or a singer. He says that as a fan of music, he takes inspiration from a lot of artists. He hopes to take his music to the world.

“I want to hear it. I want the world to feel us because we have a message. Our message is us being Africans and human beings. We go through all the other emotions that other people go through. We have ambition, so the world has to feel us.”

According to the musician, Winning is a reminder for everyone to celebrate their victories despite the tough and challenging times. He urged all his fans to stream or buy his new single, Winning, from all music platforms.