Veteran Ghanaian musician Julius Kojo Antwi, popularly known as Kojo Antwi or “Mr. Music Man,” has reflected on the evolving music industry and urged young artistes to learn from the experiences of pioneers.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, February 12, 2026, Kojo Antwi commented on recent concerns raised by artists like Kwesi Arthur and Black Sherif, who claim to face restrictions or exploitation from their record labels.
“Music has really changed. Now you see on social media, people talking about their music being downloaded a lot, but their reward is little. The money from their work goes somewhere else. For me, the issue is who controls what,” he said.
He also reflected on the posthumous recognition of legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, who was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award, 30 years after his passing. Kojo Antwi suggested Fela would have rejected it, as he used his music to fight for Nigeria and Africa.
Reflecting on his own career spanning over three decades, Kojo Antwi recounted that his early experiences in bands gave him a deep understanding of music production.
He noted that when he started, Ghana lacked a structured record label system, and during his time abroad, he was fortunate to have the resources to produce his own music until a proper label could manage it.
“So, music has moved into the hands of people who will have your music out there, and you don’t really get to know who is paying what,” he said, highlighting the need for transparency and control in the modern music industry.
Offering advice to younger musicians, Kojo Antwi added, “I think that the young ones should learn from the pioneers, because that is what I am still trying to do.”
