The release of Shatta Wale’s “Yawa Ni” music video comes at a moment when the self-proclaimed Dancehall King has been making headlines for more than just his music. The track, which sees him declaring “Wɔni wɔ choose street over bow tie” (We chose street over bow tie), speaks directly to his unapologetic persona and the decades-long rivalry that has shaped Ghana’s dancehall scene.
Just months before the video’s June 18 release, Shatta Wale found himself at the centre of a fashion controversy following his appearance at the Ghana World Cup Raffle launch in March 2026. While other artists opted for formal kaftans and suits, Shatta Wale appeared in his signature “street-king” look complete with a black baseball cap, dark shades, and custom-made chunky pendants.
When critics questioned his choice, he fired back during a live session while “Yawa Ni” played in the background: “I live my life with the music I sing. We chose street over bow tie. Nobody can force me to wear a suit. If I wake up and feel this is what I will wear, I will wear it. You dress the way you want to be addressed. Nobody will see a VVS on my neck and address me anyhow. That’s very costly, that’s thousands of dollars on my neck,” he declared.
This defiant attitude perfectly complements the “Yawa Ni” message, a track that warns against those who will eventually show their true colors, delivered with the kind of “reckless confidence” fans have come to expect. The song’s chorus warns: “Yawa ni / Akɛɛ ebuuumɔ akɛɛ ewieɔ bataa bataa” (Yawa ni / When they talk behind you, it’s all lies).
The Shatta-Stonebwoy Dynamic: Rivals or Secret Respect?
While Shatta Wale dominates headlines with his unflinching persona, his relationship with Stonebwoy remains one of the most fascinating dynamics in African music. For nearly two decades, the two Ghanaian dancehall heavyweights have been positioned as rivals yet Shatta Wale himself has offered a surprising explanation for the tension.
During a TikTok live session on January 15, 2026, Shatta Wale stated plainly: “Stonebwoy and I don’t have any problem. I have been saying this every time. Stonebwoy does not have any beef with me; it’s Samini’s beef that Stonebwoy has inherited. After they finished using Samini, they felt Samini was weak, so they wanted to use Stonebwoy to fight. Mark Okraku-Mantey has said it himself on radio. This is history,” he explained.
He further elaborated on how industry dynamics fuelled the narrative: “My only problem was that ‘Why are DJs not paying me? Why are radio stations putting my face and name on shows without informing me?’ and they said I don’t respect them. I was fighting for those things for every Ghanaian artist, so stakeholders will stop that nonsense thing, and that made me become an enemy to the industry,” he said. “As an enemy to the industry, they found somebody to fight me, and Samini was the beginning. Currently, if you ask me what happened between me and Stonebwoy, what has made us have this beef, I can’t tell you; but if you ask what happened between me and Samini, I can tell you,” he added .
Earlier, in September 2024, Shatta Wale had also complained about comparisons with highlife legend Daddy Lumba, writing on social media: “This is what my opps do to just tarnish my image in public…They want to compare me and Lumba so that the oldies will hate me and say I don’t respect…Thank you, Mr Hater” . In the same outburst, he took aim at his rival, writing: “No wonder Stonebwoy wants to compare himself to Bandana and Batman …. Foolishcountry”.
Yet for fans, it remains unclear whether this is genuine conflict, strategic rivalry, or a complicated relationship where professional competition masks personal respect. The drama, as one observer noted, never sleeps
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Reporters (Precious Baah, Frederick Ajuik, Margaret Mireku -Appiah , Florence Eshun, Mary Essoun, Mariam HammondNaadei, Justina Damoah Paddy, Rita Ayorkor)
Editor-in-chief: Nabila Priscilla
Assistant Editor: Margaret Mireku-Appiah
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