Ghanaian rapper Cyril-Alex Gockel, known by his stage name C-Real, has asked musicians and other entertainment personalities to up their bargaining power.

His comment follows claims by rapper Edem that some companies wanted to pay him lesser than his colleagues because he is an “Ewe” man.

Reacting to this, C-Real asked industry players to know how to bargain with their stars if they want to be paid bigger than what a company has offered them.

I understand what Edem is saying, and the brands are right. Brands calculate their reach, it’s a well-known fact that languages are essential even for marketing purposes. Rarely do you hear a radio advertisement in Ewe. So any brand or corporate entity will do it from that angle.

But as a creative, you have to justify why you have to be paid more… you could decide to do it in Akan or pidgin, and you need to be diverse.

Speaking to Edem, C-Real said he is more talented and diverse, hence the need for him to look beyond his background and talent.

I think Edem is one of the diverse people, so he doesn’t have to nail himself as an Ewe artiste. It’s about leverage and understanding, and it goes beyond the talent, he said.

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