Lord Paper, a Ghanaian Afrobeats artist, has spoken openly about the long-term consequences of a contentious music video released nine years ago.
Despite apologizing and making steps to move forward, the Ghanaian artist acknowledges that he continues to face challenges in the profession. These challenges include being shunned by certain media sources and being refused opportunities to market his music.
The music video for his single ‘Awurama’ sparked controversy when it was released in 2016 due to its sexual content, resulting in considerable condemnation and anger directed at Lord Paper, who was new to the industry at the time.
During a recent interview with Accra-based Metro TV, Lord Paper emphasized that the industry has not fully accepted his redemption journey. Despite producing what he considers to be outstanding music as a show of sorrow, he is hampered by continual blacklisting and criticism.
In his own words, “The industry doesn’t love and show me love. I feel like if the project is very good, I don’t have to be in your faces. The industry as a whole. I won’t say everybody because some people are showing me love.”
He goes on to voice his dissatisfaction with being judged for his acts in 2016, despite his later efforts to improve as an artist. Lord Paper concerns the fairness of continuing to be penalized for past misdeeds, especially given that he has since made significant music that resonates with fans.
In his opinion, it is unfair to use a single episode from his past to determine his entire career path. He claims to have learned from his mistakes and matured as an artist, and he hopes that the business will adopt a more open-minded approach in the future.
