Ghanaian rapper Lyrical Joe has voiced frustration over his limited recognition in the forthcoming Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMAs), saying his work during the year under review deserved broader acknowledgement.
In a recent interview on Asempa FM, he revealed that he secured only a single nomination, Best Rap Performance, which he believes falls short of reflecting the impact of his output.
“I was only nominated for Best Rap Performance. TGMA did not try for me. In the year under review, I dropped one of the best albums, ‘I Am’. I really worked hard on it and it’s about the quality of the job as well,” he said.
He argued that his project, the album I Am, merited consideration in bigger categories, especially Album of the Year.
“It’s a great album, so it deserved to be nominated. It should have been in the Album of the Year category, compared to some other albums in there. If we are talking about quality music, mine shouldn’t be left out and it’s something I was looking forward to,” he stated.
Lyrical Joe explained that he submitted entries across several categories, including Best Rap Performance, Hip-Hop Artiste of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Hiplife Artiste of the Year, but most did not translate into nominations.
“Mostly, people nominated for Best Rap Performance also get into Hip-Hop and Hiplife Artiste of the Year with the same songs, but I didn’t get into those categories,” he noted.
He also questioned what he sees as inconsistencies in the selection process, pointing to similar experiences in previous years.
“Is there a reason why I can be nominated in this category with people with the same song and they still get nominated in the other categories with the same songs, but I don’t make it to that category? Two years ago, the same thing happened. We questioned them, but they ignored us. I decided not to question again this time because there’s no need if they ignore us the first time,” he shared.
Still, he maintained a hopeful outlook despite his reservations about the system.
“At the end of the day, they still nominated me, but I believe a time will come and we will be in most categories. I just have to keep working,” Lyrical Joe further stated.
