Rex Omar defends Shatta Wale’s combative public persona

Highlife veteran Rex Omar has defended dancehall artist Shatta Wale, arguing that the musician’s combative public persona is a key reason for his massive popularity among young Ghanaians.

Speaking on the Group Chat Podcast hosted by Nana Aba Anamoah, Omar described Shatta Wale as a ‘fighter’ who refuses to back down from critics. He suggested that if the artist had adopted a more traditional, quiet, or ‘decent’ image, he would not have achieved his current level of influence.

Omar further explained that Shatta Wale’s willingness to challenge societal expectations resonates with a generation of ‘young hungry people’ who often feel silenced by traditional social hierarchies. He noted that in Ghanaian culture, young people are frequently expected to defer to elders even when those elders are wrong, and Shatta Wale’s outspoken nature serves as an outlet for those frustrations.