Hiplife veteran Slim Buster is not happy about the intense loyalty surrounding some of Ghana’s biggest artiste fan bases, describing the behaviour as “demonic” and arguing that it is preventing people from appreciating good music across rival camps.
According to him, the strong allegiance of some supporters has created divisions that go beyond ordinary fan support.
“These fan bases are demonic,” Slim Buster told Amansan Krakye on Moulders FM.
His concern is not simply that fans support their favourite artistes. Rather, he believes some supporters have become unwilling to listen to music from artistes they consider rivals.
He said this means a good song can be rejected simply because it comes from an artiste outside a particular fan base.
“Some people will not appreciate good music because it is coming from the other camp,” he said.
According to Slim Buster, this behaviour ultimately limits the music industry because artistes are unable to reach audiences beyond their established supporters.
He contrasted the current situation with what he described as an “open market” in the industry, where listeners were free to enjoy music from different artistes.
“There was an open market,” he said, arguing that the more open environment helped Ghanaian music to thrive.
Slim Buster believes the problem becomes more obvious when songs become popular mainly among an artiste’s own supporters without breaking into other sections of the listening public.
He wants musicians to take some responsibility by encouraging their supporters to listen to other artistes rather than treating rival musicians as enemies.
“If fan bases are going to exist, artistes should encourage their fans to listen to other artistes,” he said.
In a nutshell, Slim Buster believes Ghana’s music industry would have greater room to grow if listeners were encouraged to judge songs by their quality instead of the camp or fan base attached to the artiste.
