FOR budding Dancehall artiste, Nutty Rankin, if the Ghana music industry is really serious about growth, event organisers should give hard-working underground acts a fair chance to shine.

Among others, he believes event organisers should offer them proper slots to open shows, feature on event flyers, and promote them just as it is done for mainstream acts, instead of merely bundling them together under ‘and many more.’

In an exclusive interview with Graphic Showbiz, Nutty Rankin highlighted the struggles underground artistes face in gaining recognition despite their hard work and dedication.

According to him, many talented musicians are constantly sidelined, making it difficult for them to break into mainstream music industry.

“There are so many hardworking underground artistes in Ghana who deserve better. They spend their own money on recording, promoting, and even transporting themselves to events, yet when it’s time for shows, they are either added last minute, perform at odd hours when patrons are trickling in or simply lumped under ‘and many more’ on flyers,” he said.

Nutty Rankin, who is currently promoting his latest single, Tiaa Loo, emphasised that underground artistes bring fresh energy to the industry and should not be overlooked.

“Every big artiste today started from somewhere. If the industry is truly serious about growth, then the new crop of musicians should be given the right platforms. Let them open shows properly, mention their names in promotions, and give them the exposure they need,” he added.

Beyond the lack of promotion, he pointed out other challenges underground artistes face, such as limited media exposure and difficulty securing collaborations with established artistes.

“Unless they have strong industry connections or money to push their work, most underground artistes struggle to get their songs played on radio and TV. The media should support upcoming talents and not only the established names,” he stressed.

He also noted that mainstream artistes rarely extend a helping hand to rising musicians. “Many top artistes refuse to collaborate with underground acts unless there is a big budget involved. Even getting a simple feature or industry advice is a struggle. It shouldn’t be this way,” he said.

Another major concern he raised was financial constraints. Unlike mainstream artistes who have record label support or sponsorship deals, most underground acts fund their entire careers on their own.

“Recording, music videos, promotions and performances all cost money. Some of these guys use all they have, their last pesewa to push their dreams. The industry needs to create structures that make it easier for underground artistes to survive and grow,” he added.

Despite these challenges, Nutty Rankin believes underground artists should remain focused and continue pushing their craft.

“The journey is tough, but persistence is key. The fans will recognise the hard work, and when the time is right, the breakthrough will come. Until then, we need to keep making great music and demand the respect we deserve,” he encouraged.