Ghanaian rapper Pope Skinny has opened up on the kind of job he does in the United States of America.
Speaking to Nana Romeo on Accra FM, the rapper whose style of rap earned him a lot of admiration during the vibrant days of the hiplife movement, mentioned that he currently drives a huge truck for a living, in America.
“I drive a big truck in America. I cannot do it in Ghana because people will laugh at me,” he said.
When asked about why a lot of Ghanaians are relocating to Europe, the United States of America and other parts of the world, he mentioned that there is nothing in this country to secure the future of musicians.
“This is why you’ll see creatives who are needy and asking for funds, especially in their old age. It’s not that they are irresponsible,” he said.
He added that to cap it all, the job of a musician does not even come with SNNIT contributions which will address their needs during their old age or when they are incapacitated.
“If you look at all these, you’ll advise yourself, leave and go pay your social security contributions in the West, where the scheme is not corrupt, and they’ll take care of you till you die,” Pope Skinny said.
According to him, the weak structures of the Ghanaian music industry make it difficult for artists to live in the country, especially considering the financial commitments that come with their jobs.
“If you don’t have a hit song, you will go hungry.
Even if you save money, you’ll end up using the savings for paying music videos, and other logistics. Even if you get endorsement deals, how often will they come? Not everyone gets it too,” he further noted.
The Asuoden Music rapper indicated that until the leadership of the country makes it a better place to live in, a lot of the youth will always travel to other countries.
“Since the leaders don’t really think about our welfare in this country, we’ll leave and go do jobs that may be below us – at least no one will see as doing it,” he said.
Pope Skinny, however, mentioned that being famous through music has become a blessing to him. He recounted that it was easier to get a green card in the USA due to his public figure status.
