Ghanaian rapper, Kofi Mole
Rapper Kofi Mole has criticised the growing tendency to use the word Azonto as a dismissive label for music considered outdated, irrelevant, or inferior.
Guesting on Luv FM, the artiste argued that Azonto, a subgenre of Hiplife that went viral in the early 2010s and helped project Ghana’s music onto the global stage, was poorly managed and abandoned prematurely, instead of being developed for long-term continuity and commercial value.
Kofi Mole urged musicians and music fans to reclaim Azonto with pride, describing it as a core part of Ghana’s musical identity.
He expressed concern that Ghana’s music culture had become overly sensationalised, with trends fading quickly and entire eras being discarded, a pattern he believes harms both the music industry and the country’s cultural image.
Recalling a personal experience, he said, “Someone said I should stop doing Azonto music. I asked: Why is Azonto suddenly ‘Indian music’? That’s our identity.”
According to the rapper, Azonto had the potential to become Ghana’s defining global sound if it had been properly nurtured.
“Azonto could have been our global sound,” he stated. “That was our identity and we put it in the trash.”
He also lamented the industry’s constant rush to move on from emerging sounds before they fully mature.
“We move on too fast,” he said. “Before a sound can grow, people say it’s old and force artists to chase the next thing.”
The Don’t Be Late hitmaker underscored how other nations had hugely benefited from promoting a particular sound and culture.
“Nigeria is known for Afrobeats. South Africa owns Amapiano. Jamaica owns reggae,” he said. “But Ghana? We don’t have that one sound the world knows us for.”
Kofi Mole further criticised how online engagement, which could have been used to refine and promote Ghanaian music, has instead been turned into a tool for ridicule and career sabotage. He warned that this environment stifles creativity and prevents innovative or revolutionary sounds from thriving.
“You can work all day in the studio, then someone wakes up online to trash your work,” he said. “That alone can make artists abandon the sound.”
