Ghanaian musician Chief One has sparked conversation in the music industry by claiming he was the first artist in Ghana to release an Amapiano song. In an interview on Daybreak Hitz on Hitz FM, Chief One confidently stated. I’m the first artiste that dropped Amapiano in Ghana… they know me for Amapiano because I’m the first artiste that dropped it here.”
According to Chief One, his first Amapiano song was released on August 17, 2021. He believes this makes him the pioneer of the genre in Ghana, as he was among the first artists to experiment with the sound and introduce it to the Ghanaian music scene.
Chief One’s daring comment comes amid continuing discussions over which Ghanaian musician first introduced Amapiano to the country. Some industry insiders credit veteran music producer Appietus with adding Amapiano elements into his productions even before the genre gained widespread recognition.
Some music fans claim that the song ‘Mujebaya’ by Ghanaian group 5Five, recorded by Appietus in the early 2010s, contained Amapiano-like sounds. However, Chief One disagrees, claiming that Mujebaya is not Amapiano. “If you check the elements in there, it never qualifies to be Amapiano,” Chief One stated.
He emphasized that for a song to be considered Amapiano, it must contain key elements of the South African genre, including distinct log drums and basslines. According to him, Mujebaya lacks these defining characteristics and cannot be labeled as an Amapiano track.
One of his notable Amapiano-inspired songs, ‘Du Agbe,’ is a prime example of his fusion style, combining rich Ghanaian rhythms with the global Amapiano sound.
Amapiano, which originated in South Africa, has become a dominant sound across Africa and the world. Many Ghanaian artists, including Shatta Wale, Medikal, Sarkodie, and DJ Azonto, have released songs influenced by Amapiano, making it one of the fastest-growing sub-genres in the country.
Chief One’s claim to being the first Amapiano artist in Ghana is likely to spark further discussions within the industry. While some may dispute his assertion, there is no doubt that Amapiano is now an integral part of Ghana’s evolving music landscape.