By Arnold Asamoah-Baidoo
Kuami Eugene’s musical prowess is telling; having stayed on that pedestal since his emergence unto mainstream music. His ability to rack up accolades in such a short career span is simply amazing.
Aside being the youngest act to win VGMA ‘Artiste of the Year’ honour, he’s also dominated the highlife categories for the past 5 years.
What’s more? He has been Top 5 Biggest Ghanaian musicians in the last couple of years and ultimately, the go-to guy to many other artistes looking to get a spark with their singles or a jolt in their receding careers. That’s how spectacular he is!
Apart from his fashion sense, there’s one other thing Kuami gets some flak for; his communication skills. Candidly, Kuami Eugene’s communication sucks and it’s been whacky since his elevation to prominence.
Although, there seem to have to been some improvement, or so we thought - but his recent commentaries in various interviews have killed any form of hope. Nothing has changed!
‘Critics Are Fools’
In a recent interview with Poleeno Multimedia, the artiste lashed out at critics who have over the period labeled him to be ‘stealing’ or sampling songs. In a tirade, the artiste stated that, the people who claim he ‘steals’ songs or samples songs have no sense – they are fools!
One can understand the level of frustration he goes through to constantly be served with tales of ‘stealing’ or ‘sampling’ songs but that was no way to offer an answer. That defiant response was also fraught with pride, arrogance and ignorance.
Firstly, no A-List act across the world is not placed under scrutiny, either positively or negatively. It comes with the territory and if you are an artiste and you don’t make the headlines, then you are not in business. How you handle chatter and headlines about you also goes to depict what kind of artiste you are.
Secondly, by that response, Eugene clearly is ignorant about the fact that sampling is a normal phenomenon in music. Sampling has been part of the industry even before he was conceived. Some of the greatest musicians across the world, both local and international, have sampled songs and made hits out of them. There’s nothing criminal about the act if you go through the right quarters.
So, anybody that talks of a musician sampling songs can never be a fool!
Eazzy Outburst
Again, in another recent interview with DJ Slim, Kuami Eugene vowed never to do a song with the former Lynx-recording artiste, Eazzy – one of the pioneering figures of the label.
According to him, even if his hands are tied, there’s no way in this world he would do a song with the songstress. He said that Eazzy won’t even have the courage to approach him for a feature.
Obviously, his flare-up was in response to a 2019 interview Eazzy had, where she named Patapaa and Kuami Eugene as two artistes she wouldn’t want to collaborate with. The singer added that, she prefers a collaboration with KiDi than Kuami Eugene because she likes the texture of KiDi’s voice, his compositions and the tone he sings in.
Kuami’s reaction could be understandable but he failed to exhibit emotional intelligence on this one. It is clear that, he was acting overly emotional and sentimental over the matter.
It is not everything and anything that you blurt out. As an artiste of such caliber, with such pedigree and on that level - you easily shrug such things off your shoulder. If you do not want to work with Eazzy, you work on that with your label, especially when she approaches you.
You don’t come out to score points to show how hurt or tough you are, just for ‘equalization’. Step Up!
MzVee Misinterpretation
When he sat with blogger, ZionFelix, a range of issues were discussed but one of the highlights was his take on another former Lynx-recording artiste, MzVee.
Hear him;
“I thought she is saying it would be a disrespect to compare because she started this thing way before I started, that’s right. And so, if you compare MzVee to me in that way, it is disrespectful. So I wish people won’t compare how big she is or how big I am.
But then again, if she says it’s disrespectful because she had everything on her own, I wrote most of her songs, so I don’t think it is disrespectful. I wrote ‘Come and See My Mother’. I wrote ‘Daavi’. I wrote ‘I don’t Know’. So she really doesn’t do everything for herself.
I, mean, I have helped. So I am just hoping she appreciates that rather than making it look like I have never done anything for her. Because I didn’t take even a cedi for everything I did for her.”
Here is that emotional Kuami Eugene who usually takes things too personal to the point where it usually clouds his ability to think with his head instead of his heart.
In that interview, also with ZionFelix, MzVee stated that, it is dicey to compare an independent artiste to an artiste who is signed to a label. She said, that since exiting Lynx, she has been taking care of her label and all activities she and her team have been involved in – financially.
The contribution of Kuami Eugene did not even come up for her to discredit so, how did such genuine and factual comment elicit that kind of response from Kuami Eugene? It is unfathomable how he had to come at MzVee in that manner.
Let’s even be blunt; before Kuami Eugene, there was MzVee. Before the songs he wrote for her, she already had hits. Give us a break!
You wrote some songs for her, so what? You are not the first songwriter and won’t be the last in this ecosystem. Songwriting is part of the music industry, so revealing that you wrote songs for some artiste does not reduce their value or stock.
Galling Trend
It is the same immature commentary that sparked an avoidable scuffle between Guru and the Executives of Lynx that resulted in repugnant banter and ‘diss’ songs.
It is the same exhibition of pomposity in interviews that brought tension between himself and label mate, KiDi – to the point where the Executives of the label had to take action and ‘instruct’ the two not to answer questions on each other.
Check this out;
KiDi, commenting on the friction that ensued between the two, stated on UTV that, he has decided not to answer questions that pertains to his label mate because the media tends to twist such answers, thereby creating problems for them.
In response to KiDi’s revelation, Kuami Eugene said that, KiDi should have known it earlier and known better not to answer questions that pertains to his personality and character. Such class!
Make A Stance
Kuami Eugene has two options;
Declare that it is part of his brand to be proud, arrogant and reckless, especially when it comes to his communication skills. That won’t be a first. We already have Shatta Wale and it works for him, I guess, so, it won’t be a problem to have another. We shall survive.
Otherwise, he should improve on his communication skills, prepare adequately before interviews and always think with the head and not the heart.
Lastly, you are not under any obligation to answer every question when you grant an interview as an entertainer. Use tact and intelligence to figure out what questions need answers or clarity and what questions to parry off.
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