In a recent interview on 3FM , Stay Jay lamented that the art of songwriting has been reduced to a mere formality, with many songwriters failing to meet the basic requirements of good songwriting.

“Always when I am in the studios, I pray before I do a song and I don’t write a song. It just comes to my head with the beat and everything and I just tell the engineer and we are good to go,” he added.

Real name, William Kojo Johnson, is best known for his hit single “Shashee Wowo” produced by Ghanaian producer Killbeatz, which gained huge popularity in Ghana.

He won the best new artiste of the year at the 2012 Ghana Music Awards and also earned six other nominations in the same year.

Contrary to accusations that GHAMRO is not living up to its mandate of collecting and distributing royalties accordingly, Stay Jay is confident “the system is working”.

Months back, some artiste called out GHAMRO for what they said is ‘cheating’ as majority revealed they have not been paid more than GHS 250 since they registered with the organisation.

But, in a latest interview on Onua FM, Stay Jay claimed to have been receiving not less than GHS 20,000 monthly.

Asked how his story is different from that of his colleagues, he responded that “you have to know where to channel yourself to. When you go there and you register with them, they take all your royalties and everything for you everywhere. When you give them the chance, they will do it for you.”

In his view, registering with GHAMRO is not enough and artiste must make the conscious efforts to do constant follow-ups and have representatives.

“You have to know where to channel yourself to. When you go there and you register with them, I think they’re gonna take all your royalties and everything for you everywhere. You go there, speak to them and they show you everything you have to do and you follow it.”

Guesting on Accra FM, he was asked about his absence on the music scene.

“I’m around,” the Tema-based artiste answered. “I’ve been off the scenes for a while.”

He explained that he “took a little break to build up a great team” and endeavour to “fit in[to] the new popular genre”.

Jay said during this period, he also wrote songs for other artistes.

“I wrote songs for people in the UK, US, Nigeria and others,” he said.

To buttress, he asked: “Do you know I am the one who wrote Atom’s Ye Wo Krom?”

He added that “because of contracts” he is not able to mention other songs he has helped others with.

“Every song comes with its unique price,” the rapper indicated.

He stated that he was in the studio every day while on break, adding: “I have recorded a pile of songs and I will release them for you back to back”.

Stay Jay is best known for his megahit Shashee Wowo of Hiplife’s Azonto era.

The singer and rapper has been on intermittent breaks, with the latest, according to him, being after the release of Happy Yourself featuring Article Wan in 2021.

In 2019, however, he scored a new hit with Chocolate featuring Kuami Eugene.

The rapper’s latest offering is from July 14, 2023, titled Odo (Love) and features Kosi Sia.

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According to him, he wouldn’t want the song to drop because “he is a different kind of musician now” in 2022.

The soothing singer, who is currently promoting his latest album, Songs of Peter, asked the Yenko Nkoaa hitmaker to pause after the latter took to Twitter to announce their yet-to-be released song.

Meanwhile, Stay Jay didn’t back down after Fameye told him “Oh Big man 2019 song in 22 I beg lol.”

Stay Jay, born as William Kojo Johnson, replied Fameye: “I get you Fameye, but old wines taste the best.”

Check out the tweet below:

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that a Ghanaian musician will advise colleagues in the music sphere to never put out a song they featured in years ago.

On March 7, 2022, songstress Efya advised musicians she has recorded with beyond the past three years to never drop the songs.

For her, she is never the same musician they knew years back, adding that, it will be difficult for her to clear the song.

She wrote: PS:..!! If I did a verse for u n it’s past 3 years !! PLS DONT DROP THAT SONG ..!! I AM DEFINITELY NOT the same person ..musically.. sonically..lyrically …kraaaa ma sesa..so do the right thing .. n come for the better verse from the NOW ME …or u n heaven go clear the song [SIC].

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Speaking in an interview on 3FM, the singer said he nearly died after some industry people plotted his downfall by using ‘voodoo’ on him.

He explained that after his traditionally-themed song which featured rapper Stay Jay, he had an international contract but he couldn’t leave three days to his departure because he fell ill out of the blue.

Narrating his ordeal, he said he had to roam from one church to another because doctors couldn’t identify which illness was killing him slowly.

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He told the host how gruesome he looked due to big rashes that were forming all over his skin causing him to disguise himself among people all these years.  

We signed the contract on Friday so I was to move on the next Tuesday. That night, I wasn’t feeling too well… so by 12 midnight, I couldn’t do anything again.

I went to many religious places in search of healing… I even spent two years in Reverend Obofour’s church. I slept there and he is my prophet.

All the hospitals said I was okay… I had big rashes all over my face with stuff coming from it like a boil. I couldn’t travel again, he said.

But he said he is ready to bounce back into the music scene.

I thank God that I am alive. I can see and walk before I couldn’t… I thank God and with him everything is possible.

Check out visuals of Eduwodzi’s hit song below: