Ghanaian reggae artist and political commentator Blakk Rasta has disclosed that he received threats following his controversial performance at the recent Nkrumah Fest.
In an interview with Accra-based 3FM, Blakk Rasta explained that he was originally invited to deliver a speech at the event but was encouraged by the enthusiastic audience to perform instead. He ended up singing three songs: “Kwame Nkrumah,” “Barack Obama,” and the provocative “Thief President.” The latter sparked significant controversy and quickly went viral on social media.
“After I did the song, I was just on my way out and telling myself, I didn’t intend to sing here. I just intended to come and give a speech because that was the original thing. But they were insisting that I should sing something. So when I sang it, by the evening, it was all over the place,” he recounted.
Following his performance, Blakk Rasta reported receiving several threatening phone calls, which prompted the event organizers to provide him with additional security. He described one such call: “People called me with phone numbers that did not exist and threatened me after that performance. There was one who called and just said, ‘You! I am coming for you.’ I said, ‘Oh, bro, where do you want us to meet?’ Then he started laughing. We both laughed.”
Acknowledging the heightened tension, Blakk Rasta accepted the security support offered by the organizers around his hotel area. “So the organisers asked me if I needed security and all that. I said, ‘Why not?’ So they had one or two people around my hotel area,” he stated.
Reflecting on the incident, Blakk Rasta emphasized the importance of holding leaders accountable and issued a warning against corruption. “It’s not for me to tell you which one is a thief, which one is not a thief. Just as in every country, I believe that they know who is not treating them well as their president. So, if that suits you, why not? If you are not a thief, don’t ever be a thief. It’s not good. And if you are a thief, change,” he concluded.
