Black Star Experience has no issue with any artiste – Rex Omar on Stonebwoy’s ‘sideline’ claims

National Coordinator of the Black Star Experience, Rex Omar, has pushed back against claims that the BSE initiative sidelines certain artistes when selecting performers for its events.

Speaking on GhanaWeb’s Entertainment X Space on September 5, 2025, Rex Omar responded to a question from MC Portfolio regarding recent claims made by Stonebwoy.

The dancehall artiste recently stated in an interview on Asempa FM that he feels excluded from national events, citing the launch of the Black Star Experience as a key example.

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But addressing this, Rex Omar said the Black Star Experience is not about politics or favoritism.

According to him, the initiative is open to all artistes regardless of political affiliation.

“Black Star Experience have not had any issue with any artiste, none or whatsoever. Black Star Experience have not had any issue with any artiste from any political divide because the Black Star Experience is a national initiative,” he said.

He explained that the initiative operates in the national interest and does not base its collaborations on partisan considerations.

Citing the recent Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Black Star Experience and South Africa’s National Council of Art, Rex Omar said the project involves platforms and organisers who have no political ties to them.

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He mentioned that the focus was on representing Ghana collectively rather than advancing any political agenda.

“We are not playing politics and saying this artiste is this, this artiste is that. Tidal Rave, I don’t know the people behind it, it’s a private initiative but when we went to South Africa and when we were talking, we believed that it is a good project so we brought it on board.

“The people who are organising Ghanafest, they are not friends of ours, we don’t know their political colour but because it is Ghana, we brought them on board. So we are not interested in partisan talk, we are interested in making sure that Ghana puts its best foot out there,” he explained.

Rex Omar further stated that the Black Star Experience Secretariat has never turned down any artiste who has expressed interest in participating.

He stated categorically that the office is open to all, and there has not been a single case of rejection based on politics or personal issues.

“Nobody has come to the Black Star Experience Secretariat to offer anything and nobody has turned him down. The Secretariat is open to everybody, different kinds of people, from academia, from foreign countries. Stonebwoy has never spoken to me or come to the Secretariat and brought any proposal that anybody has turned him down,” he added.

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AK/EB