[Stonebwoy](https://www.instagram.com/stonebwoyb/?hl=en) is the King of Afro-Dancehall, and he’s here to spread good vibrations from Ghana to the rest of the world. The global superstar has proven over and over again his musical talents and abilities, fusing the genres of Afropop, dancehall, and reggae into one and stamping it with his signature style and swag.
With over 45 awards to his name, which includes Best International Act at the 2015 BET Awards and Artist of the Year at the 2015 Ghana Music Awards, the famed hitmaker continues to consistently bless fans with nothing short of bangers. A true believer in the notion that hard work pays off, the “Go Higher” recording artist has worked with everyone from Sean Paul and Trey Songz to Kranium and Burna Boy.
Fast forward to 2020, Stonebwoy returns with the collab we’ve all been waiting for: Davido. While they’ve been friends for a minute, the first record they created somehow got lost. With their latest effort titled “Activate,” the superstars collide for the ultimate feel-good anthem, as they glide their vocals over a standout Carribean beat.
_Flaunt_ caught up with Stonebwoy via Instagram Live, who was posted overseas in Ghana in nothing but high spirits. Read below as we discuss his title as King of Afro-Dancehall, how “Activate” came about, the lit video shoot, collaborating with Keri Hilson after her 10-year hiatus, goals, overcoming a near fatal accident at 13, and more!
**How are you holding up with everything in Ghana?**
I’m well, I’m grateful for life. Ghana has dealt with this situation quite very well. Elections are happening so the whole country’s filled with parties, campaigns here and there. All of Ghana is going to the polls and vote, elect the president. Amidst the virus, we’re managing and working out the kinks.
**How is your election compared to the States? We had the worst President...**
Yeah, that’s why we’re all here. I see what goes on on CNN, it’s the news so I can’t tell between the reality on the ground and what the news says most of the time. I pray the vaccine that’s been introduced now can ease up a lot of stress so that we can all go back to our normal lives.
**What does it mean to be the King of Afro-Dancehall?**
I feel great because hands down, this is what I worked for. If anybody ever hears Afro-Dancehall, the name that comes to that is Stonebwoy. I take credit for that because it’s a legacy that I’m leaving. I’m grateful to have found myself at that juncture where my influence of reggae and dancehall, with the foundation which is Afrobeats, have come together for me to be able to push the envelope to this level. From 2015 when I won the BETs, that style became very recognized among African artists. We have the typical Afrobeats artists and we have the artists who have the reggae and dancehall influencing the Afrobeats they do as well. It gives me joy to be a frontline for all that.
**“Activate” featuring Davido out now, how are you feeling?**
Yo, that’s my favorite song right now. No matter how many times I play that song, it blows my mind still. It’s crazy! The combination, this is the true evidence of Afro-Dancehall I always keep talking about and promoting. You hear my style, you hear his style, put it together on an Afrobeat vibe but it’s still something that can move the dance floor. Still something that the Caribbean can relate to. It’s fresh. Big respect to Davido, biggest Afrobeat artist alive right now. No cap, know that. In Afro-Dance, I came the same way. Coming together to make this happen is a blessing.
**Did you guys do that in the studio together? I’d imagine it was a vibe.**
Crazy! I should send you a couple pictures and videos of us while we’re recording. Going to send you the BTS, it was nuts. Both of us were going off top. Do you know the song we recorded was the second song we created on the same beat? That’s what we kept, the first one is going to have to come back some other time on another rhythm. We’re vibing to the beat so much that we made 3 songs and had to record one.
**Where did you guys record it at?**
We recorded it in Accra here in Ghana. He flew in to stay for a few days, we linked up. We talked from time to time so it happened. This time we had to do the right thing because the last time we did a song, it went missing. He’s always travelling, we’re all busy. The data went missing, we couldn’t find it anymore. We couldn’t get the actual data or vocal files to mix or master, so we had to let that go. Time is right, this is what we have now. “Activate”! Biggest tune.
**The video looked like a full-blown party, where was it shot?**
We shot it in Ghana at one of the biggest eco resorts called Safari Valley. It’s new, the biggest eco resort in Aburi. We all drove there, it’s an hour and a half drive from the airport when you land in Kotoka International Airport. So we all just drove there, had a little party, and shot the video. Vibes.
**Best memory from the shoot with Davido?**
The drive before we got to the location, it was crazy on the road. The convoy was 30 cars coming all the way, in top gear. People recognized me, recognized him. It was a whole vibe from when we left our apartments to the location to shoot. That’s his first time visiting that part of the country. Though he comes to Ghana regularly, but the first time he climbed on the mountains to go into the valley. Something he’s going to remember. Him and I are very cool, he’s a great person. Great memories.
**What’s one thing you want fans to get from “Activate”?**
I want the fans to wake up from the Corona impact. We’ve all been hit, but the reasons why I dropped this song and called it “Activate” is we have to activate our lives back to normal. The vaccine is here around the corner, they’re going to activate the vaccine so we’re going to activate back our lives with the song. Get the vibes on. It’s a party song, it’s a feel-good song.
**I see you dancing in the video for “Putuu Freestyle.” Talk about being able to perform, dance, entertain... do it all.**
\[laughs\] Exactly, it’s about entertaining. Music doesn’t go without dance. Music goes with dancing and dancing is moving your body to the beat. I see myself as somebody whose movements to the beat captivate people. They see it as a point of attraction, but I don’t call myself a dancer. I’m only jamming to the song. I leave the dancers to do the actual dances, but I only move to the songs and feel good with it.
**How was collaborating with Keri Hilson on “Nominate”?**
Yo, crazy. That was for the _Anloga Junction_ album, an album I literally started working on. I’m almost halfway through, but I still have a long way to go because all of the songs on the album are supposed to live on. They’re classics that I’m going to have to spend a lot of time pushing and promoting, irrespective of releasing singles alongside. Meeting with Keri has been a very pure and clean one. We linked, we vibed. I travelled to the States and we created the song right there in the studio, so the vibes is real.
**That’s the first song she’s made in 10 years? That’s insane.**
Exactly, I get to be the lucky one to get that honor to do a song with her. I keep breaking records, don’t I? \[laughs\]
**How did you guys link?**
We linked through a friend of ours. Coincidentally, they’re going to get on a flight with a friend of mine. Something happened she says, then they started vibing. When \[my friend\] realized that was Keri Hilson, he said “yo I know a big guy called Stonebwoy, that’s my blood. Wassup?” The link was made, we exchanged numbers and here we are today. We dropped a big song for the world, we’re activating it right now.
**How’s it feel to be the first artist of your kind to win a BET award in 2015?**
For me, it feels more fulfilling and divine because there was a need for the light to shine on the Afro-Dancehall style. When God used me to break that door, we all got to hear about the rest and the rest and the rest. It gives me a lot of joy that there is now a realization of a style that’s a combination of Dancehall from Africa and the Afrobeats as well.
**You’ve been making music for over a decade, what goals yourself do you have?**
Immediate goals are to stay grounded, keep grinding, continue to inspire my people, represent for the people. Currently as we speak, there’s elections in my country. I held the biggest individual peace walk in the country. Filled with people, came out with 40, 50 thousand people. It was crazy in my community that I always represent for. I’m continuing to realize the role that I play in the lives of these people, I have to position myself such that I don’t bring divisions between all these political divides and still continue to be a unifier. We released a peace song as a medley, it has other superstars on it from Ghana to preach peace as well. It’s a double release, we’re activating the whole thing and still making sure people know what time it is so we keep the peace of Ghana. Because you hear a lot of instability when it comes to elections in Africa, so we have to be the mouthpieces to continue to preach about these things.
**I know at age 13 you were in a bad car accident. What was going through your mind then and did you think you would be here now?**
One thing for sure is that I was a kid anyway, so school was on my mind. One inspirational factor that has and will forever be was my mother. She always reminded me of the great person that I can be, that I would be, and the fact I’m different from everybody else. I have to hold onto my differences now, learn from my situation, get inspired by that. Now I know how it feels, so I can only represent those who are in such states. That’s why my Livingston Foundation caters for disability and education as well.
**Back then, what was different about you?**
It’s the same old Stonebwoy in different phases right now. The foundation’s the same, we’re only adding on top of the foundation. I’ve been the same old me, my beginning and that incident are why I am who I am today.
**What does it mean to be CEO of Burniton Music Group?**
Being my own CEO means I have the rights to do my own things, push my own things, and push the envelope. In other words, no one’s going to do it for you. You have to do it for yourself. This sends a strong inspiration back to people to move, don’t wait for people. Be independent, try to work hard for your own. It feels good to be a CEO, but I feel like a servant anyway because I’m serving myself and other people.
**Anything else you’d like to let us know?**
Big ups to Shirju, big ups to everybody who’s tuned in right now. “Activate” is on Youtube, we’re almost at a million. We want peace! We don’t want war.
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