Veteran rapper Okyeame Kwame has stated that the current generation of Ghanaian musicians are “smarter” than their predecessors when it comes to creating music and connecting with audiences.

Speaking in an interview with DJ Slim while discussing the concept of remixes, the award-winning rapper said he is more interested in collaborating with younger artistes because they better understand today’s music landscape.

“I want to work with younger artistes because they are smarter than us. Younger artistes know what’s up. They carry the exact zeitgeist of what is happening and how it is done now,” he said.

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When DJ Slim sought clarification on whether he meant they were smarter than his generation, Okyeame Kwame explained that he was referring to their ability to curate content and create experiences that resonate with audiences.

“In terms of curating content or creating an experience that people can identify with, young artistes know how to do it better than old artistes, and I don’t say this politically,” he said.

To support his point, he mentioned artistes including KiDi, Kuami Eugene, King Promise, Olivetheboy and Black Sherif, arguing that they have achieved greater international success despite facing many of the same industry challenges his generation encountered.

“Look at what KiDi, Kuami Eugene, King Promise, Olivetheboy and Blacko are doing. The same lack of unity, the same lack of government support, the same absence of leadership, yet look at the levels their music has reached versus how far we went. They know something we don’t,” he stated.

According to him, industry veterans should intentionally create opportunities for younger musicians instead of dismissing them because of their age or experience.

“We need to project the young ones. We don’t have to say we are older than them or ask when they came into the industry. We need to be intentional about creating platforms for young people to express themselves because 57% of Africa is youth,” he added.

Sharing what he has learnt from collaborating with younger acts, Okyeame Kwame said modern musicians have transformed songwriting by making songs shorter and more direct compared to the lengthy song structures common during his era.

He singled out Black Sherif as an artiste who still employs a classic songwriting structure while blending it with a fresh creative style.

“Some of them also use our model. An example is Blacko. He uses a classic songwriting model as we did, but it has a creative vibe that if he doesn’t give it to you, you won’t get it,” he said.

“I now want to work with younger artistes because they are smarter than us, and I want to give my music new life.” — Okyeame Kwame

#OkyeameKwame #ClassyMorning #ClassFM #DJSlim https://t.co/tmVpDnXArC

— Class 91.3FM (@Class913fm) October 29, 2026