Entertainment pundit, Macall Mensah, has strongly criticised Kuami Eugene over his recent remarks about musicians selling their catalogs, describing them as “very disrespectful” to artists who have taken that path.
Speaking on Starr Showbiz with Feeling Daddy on Starr 103.5 FM on Saturday, August 23, Macall said Kuami Eugene’s suggestion that artists sell their catalogs because of hunger is misleading and insulting to both Ghanaian and international acts who have made such business decisions.
“But I don’t get the statement he made there. He’s not hungry to sell his catalog. No, but that is totally disrespectful. Very, very disrespectful. That he saying what kind of hunger will let him sell his catalog is very disrespectful,” Macall said.
He emphasized that selling a music catalog should not be equated with desperation or poverty, pointing out that several world-renowned artists, and even wealthier entertainers than Kuami Eugene, have sold their catalogs.
“So, the artists that have sold their catalog, are they hungry? I don’t get it. Is Sarkodie hungry? Or is R. Kelly hungry? Is the family of Michael Jackson hungry? But all these artists have sold their catalog,” he argued.
Macall referenced recent developments in the Ghanaian music scene, where names like Kwabena Kwabena, Kwaku Flick, Akwaboah, Nacee, Ebony, Bosom P-Yung, Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, Lasmid, O’Kenneth, Fameye, Amerado, and Mr. Drew were all linked to Waka Music Limited after reports emerged about acquisitions of rights. He questioned whether Kuami Eugene believed all these stars were driven by hunger, calling that claim baseless.
“Selling your catalog doesn’t mean you are hungry. There are a lot of reasons. Yes, hunger can be part of the reasons. But it’s not solely because you are hungry that’s why you are selling your catalog. You are selling your catalog to make more money, not because you are hungry,” he added.
He further explained that catalog sales are often the result of negotiations involving multiple parties; producers, songwriters, and record labels not just the performing artist. “It just goes beyond you selling your songs because of hunger. It goes beyond that,” he said.
Macall concluded by cautioning Kuami Eugene about his choice of words in public conversations, saying that while he may have had a point to make, the delivery overshadowed it. “Sometimes, you might be saying the right thing, but how you say it matters. You need to be careful not to make other artists feel disrespected,” he noted.
