Veteran Ghanaian music producer Hammer of The Last Two says most Ghanaian musicians have less retirement security than bank tellers because the country’s music industry lacks effective organisation.
Speaking on the Konnected Minds podcast, the sound engineer, whose real name is Edward Nana Poku Osei, was responding to survey findings that 85.4 per cent of Ghanaian musicians questioned do not pay into a registered pension scheme.
Hammer said many artistes simply could not afford regular contributions.
“They don’t have the money for the pension scheme. You’re better off as a teller at a bank.”
“You will be more consistent with your pension scheme payments than a musician,” he added.
He also questioned whether success and public recognition in Ghana’s music sector generally lead to long-term financial stability. In his view, weak royalty collection and limited monetisation systems leave performers without reliable structures to build lasting wealth.
“A successful musician, how many are there in Ghana? Successful musicians in Ghana are a handful,” Hammer said.
He argued that the small number of artistes who achieve financial stability largely depend on public support rather than an established industry framework.
“They are being patronised.”
“And they are surviving in the absence of an industry. They are doing their own thing,” he added.
The comments come amid renewed calls for greater support for ageing creatives while they remain active, with veteran entertainers continuing to appeal for help with medical treatment and welfare needs.
Hammer recalls discovering Sarkodie
During the same podcast appearance, Hammer also described how he first noticed rapper Sarkodie after hearing him display his lyrical ability on Adom FM’s Kasahare freestyle programme.
“Sark is the only one that I called. I was fascinated with his wordplay on Adom.”
“I was like, whoa. He’s a full package.”
“He just needed somebody like a coach,” Hammer recalled, comparing the young rapper’s potential with that of boxer Mike Tyson.
Hammer said he called into the radio studio while the programme was on air, prompting a strong reaction from presenter Duncan when he realised who was speaking.
“I said, ‘Yeah, this is Hammer, come and see.’ It was pandemonium.”
“It went crazy there,” he said.
Hammer then ended the call and later contacted Sarkodie directly by telephone.
Sarkodie, who recently called for increased investment in Ghana’s creative industry, subsequently confirmed Hammer’s account in a post on his official X page.
“One phone call changed everything. The first time Hammer called me, he asked me to come to his studio.”
“I had no idea how I was going to get from Tema to Accra, but I knew one thing for sure: not going was never an option. And the rest, as they say, is history,” he wrote.
