Sarkodie, Samini and Shatta Wale came from me

Veteran rapper and dancehall artiste Scooby Selah has credited himself as a major influence on some of Ghana’s biggest reggae and dancehall names, saying their musical foundations can be traced back to his work.

Speaking in an interview with Roselyn Felli on Joy Prime monitored by MyNewsGh, Scooby Selah was asked directly about comparisons with Samini and who inspired who. His response was blunt.

“Oh, Samini copied me,” he said. “Samini listened to my music to write his Linda song.

He extended the claim to Shatta Wale as well, referencing his earlier work.

“Shatta Wale listened to my Sass Squad song… ‘He want the whole wide world to know that Selassie aa yeah live it in time to become Shatta Wale,’” Scooby Selah stated.

When pressed further on whether multiple artistes drew inspiration from him, the veteran musician maintained that his influence was widespread.

“Yeah, them all came from me,” he said. “You hear? Them all came from TH4 Kwagees.”

Scooby Selah also reflected on his reputation as a rapper during his formative years, suggesting his lyrical style set him apart.

“In school, if it be my rap way, they fear rap,” he explained. “Because my rap is hard to get.”

Despite his bold claims, Scooby Selah made it clear that he holds no resentment toward the artistes he believes followed in his footsteps. Instead, he expressed pride in their success.

“Yes, yes. I’m very, very proud of them,” he said. “I’m proud of Kofi Kinaata. I’m proud of Ayesem.”

He also mentioned emerging talents, noting that he welcomes growth within the industry.

“There’s a new guy coming up… Mrs Loso,” he added.

Touching on his broader contribution to the genre, Scooby Selah recalled his time running a radio station and his role in promoting reggae and dancehall music in Ghana.

“I want a lot of people to come into the industry,” he said. “I got the radio station. A lot of people were bashing me, ‘Why don’t you play your music?’ I’m like, yeah, even if I talk on radio, it’s promotion enough for me.”

According to him, that period marked a turning point for the genre locally.

“So I was able to promote the reggae dancehall,” Scooby Selah noted. “Within my time, that was when reggae dancehall became big.”