Dancehall artiste Epixode has responded to recent remarks by former hiplife star turned evangelist, Lord Kenya, who criticised the growing use of Jamaican patois in Ghanaian music.
According to Lord Kenya, many Ghanaian artistes have become overly reliant on the dialect, diluting the authenticity of their craft. He described the patois used by local Reggae/Dancehall artistes as “disturbing to the ears.”
In a respectful yet firm rebuttal, Epixode clarified that while he occasionally uses patois, it is never an attempt to imitate Jamaicans.
“Me, I speak street patois,” he said. “I can’t get it 100% because I’m not Jamaican, and I’ve never claimed to be. But I express myself the way I know how.”
The award-winning artiste acknowledged Lord Kenya’s influence in Ghana’s music industry, particularly in stage performance, but expressed disappointment over the tone of the veteran’s comments.
“No disrespect to Lord Kenya, but patois comes in different levels. It would have been nice for someone with such a legacy to sit this one out, because it gives room for people to disrespect him.”
Epixode urged industry legends to support rather than criticise the current generation of artistes.
“Don’t trash our hard work. We are all building on the foundations they laid. We’re not trying to erase their legacy, we’re extending it.”
He also noted that music transcends language, stressing that vibe and longevity are more important than dialects.
Despite the disagreement, Epixode maintained that Lord Kenya remains one of his role models when it comes to performance, but insisted that the criticism “holds no water,” especially at a time when Ghanaian music is reaching international audiences in diverse ways.