Shatta Wale has become a bad influence – Akablay

Veteran guitarist, Anthony Aka Blay has said Dancehall Artiste, Charles Nii Armah popularly known as Shatta Wale, has a negative influence on the youth who follow him on social media.

In an interview with Graphic Showbiz, he said that some of the celebrities followed by the youth on social media, do not portray good morals and values to be emulated by the youth.

He cited Shatta Wale as one of the celebrities who is always showing pictures and videos of himself smoking and dancing in boxer shorts.

“With his large fan base I don’t expect Shatta Wale to use certain words and engage in indecent acts. I know he has the largest fan base in Ghana at the moment but what impact is he making on them?

”The youth are engaged in all sorts of bad activities because they see him as their role model and blindly copy what he does,” he said.

He however suggested that because Shatta Wale has a lot of influence on the youth, he needs to channel his energy into promoting positive things which will make them a better people.

“I expect a lot from him as the leader he claims to be because the youth are going wayward and I will blame it largely on him,” he added.

Akablay took guitar lessons from Koo Nimo, King Onyia and Paa Joe, who was a member of Jewel Ackah’s band Butterfly Six. He became a member of the band following Paa Joe’s departure in 1989. He later joined the acclaimed Western Diamonds but left in 2002.

Akablay’s celebrated career received a boost when he was named Vodafone Ghana Music Awards’ Best Instrumentalist in 2009. Five years later, he won Best Guitar Player at the 2014 Best Instrumentalists of Africa Festival in Cotonou.