Ghana Music Industry Has Abandoned Me – Keeny Ice

Ghanaian musician Keeny Ice has expressed disappointment in the music industry, saying he has not received the recognition he deserves despite his hard work over the years.

In an interview on Daybreak Hitz with DJ Slim and Doreen Avio, Keeny said the industry has not been fair to him.

“The industry has not been fair to Keeny Ice. I am speaking for myself. Over the years, the industry has not been fair to me. And I am saying this not as someone who is lazy sitting somewhere and trying to nag. Over the years you’ve seen my work. You’ve seen the impact I have had,” he said.

Keeny recalled how, back in 2017, he was already gaining attention in Nigeria and even toured Lagos to promote his music. He mentioned that Nigerian artiste Victor AD’s first international appearance was on a song Keeny featured him on.

He also mentioned that he has had a strong fan base in the Volta Region, where he has been organising concerts since 2015, even before going professional.

“I started putting up my own show since 2015. That was even when I hadn’t gone professional with the music. I was just in my formative years. In 2015 I was still filling up venues and all that,” he stated.

Despite charting songs and building a name for himself, it took Keeny Ice about eight years to earn a nomination in the Unsung Artiste category at the Ghana Music Awards.

He believes he also deserved a spot in the Afrobeats Song of the Year category in the 2025 Telecel Ghana Music Awards, but was overlooked again.

He also pointed to language barriers as one of the industry’s biggest problems. According to him, a radio station once refused to play his song simply because it was in Ewe.

“I went to a radio station and somebody told me ‘we can’t play an Ewe song. I don’t understand what you say in the song’,” he recalled.

He added that with Akan languages dominating the music space, artistes from other ethnic backgrounds face unfair disadvantages.

“When the Twi or Fante or Akan is 70%, and they dominate the industry, how can a Dagbani or Ewe person fight his way into it?” he asked.

Keeny Ice revealed that most rappers now shift to singing because singing gets more recognition and financial support. He cited King Paluta’s switch as an example.

“Imagine if Dr Bawumia wanted to give some deal with King Paluta, he wouldn’t do it if Paluta was still rapping,” he said.

Keeny said he now mixes commercial songs with occasional hardcore rap. His new EP Ice Cold will be released on May 30, 2025.