Hunger forced me to do some songs I’m not proud of – Ofori Amponsah
Renowned Highlife artist, Ofori Amponsah, also known as Mr. All 4Real, has expressed remorse over some of his iconic hits, revealing that hunger forced him to record songs he is not proud of.
Despite having a repertoire of hit songs such as “Emmanuella,” “Otoolege,” “Sardine,” and many more, Ofori Amponsah admitted that certain tracks were recorded out of necessity rather than genuine creative inspiration.
In an exclusive interview with Graphic Showbiz, the “Otoolege” hitmaker disclosed that financial challenges led him to create songs that didn’t resonate with his artistic integrity.
He explained, “In this music business, you sometimes do certain things to survive. I did a couple of songs that were popular all over Ghana, but honestly, I am not proud of those songs because hunger pushed me to do them.”
“Those songs didn’t come from within and I wouldn’t have done them if I were financially okay back then. But I had to pay the bills—utility bills, school fees among other things,” he disclosed.
However, according to Ofori Amponsah, if a musician makes money the main reason he records songs, he may come out with a hit that may trend for a while but the artiste together with his hit will fizzle out in no time at all.
“Musicians who make their ‘stomachs’ their priority become irrelevant after a period of time. When you are a musician and you are always thinking of making money to pay bills or sort yourself out, you may not come out with a very good song.”
He emphasized the importance of creating music that comes from within, citing songs like “Abele” as examples of timeless and evergreen tracks that have a lasting impact.