Rapper Derrick Sarfo Kantanka, better known in the entertainment industry as Amerado, has pushed musicians everywhere to exercise caution when crafting lyrics for their songs.
This is in reaction to a recent move by the Ghanaian educational system to include songs by artists in test questions, such as the 2024 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), which is currently being administered.
Following the artist’s post on a section of his song, “Kweku Ananse,” that was utilized for a question in the Creative Art and Design paper, Amerado said in an interview on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning show on Thursday that the action demonstrated the social influence that musicians can have.
Consequently, he counseled musicians to be mindful of their poise and demeanor in public, given the extent to which their music and way of life impact youth, especially students.
“It shows that what we are doing could go as far as being positively impactful on people’s lives. So, as an artiste, if you’re going to the studio to record a song or going out to perform, you should check your dress code, the way you portray yourself, and the kind of words you use in your songs because someway, somehow, you’re having an impact on people’s lives.”
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He added that the project contributes to the progress of education in Ghana and that it strengthens the bonds between the business and creative sectors, both of which are highly valued in society.
The rapper exhorts musicians to never give up and to keep working hard in order to be recognized, even though society views them as negative effects on society.
The question is, “Select the moral lesson from the lyrics Mani mmere wo mpaboa no in the song ‘Kwaku Ananse’ by Amerado,” which is found in Section A of the Creative Arts and Design paper.
“Now we have a question like ‘M’ani mmre wo mpaboa no’ in the Ghanaian BECE questions, which means that what we’re doing is just not for fun. At the end of the day, you’re teaching the children not to be envious of each other irrespective of the situation, and me as a musician, seeing this speaks volumes to me that Amerado, when you’re doing songs, you need to do songs that are not going to allow people to go out there to smoke.”
He continued by stating that the response to the query is A, or “Do not be envious.”
The hitmaker of “Kweku Ananse” thanked the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) sincerely for the accolade.
Since the subject was added to the curriculum, junior high school applicants for the Basic Education Certificate Examination have not taken an exam on it before.
