“I See Myself in Shatta Wale” – Rex Omar Hails Dancehall Star as True Heir to Creative Arts Advocacy
Highlife legend and Coordinator of Blackstar Experience, Rex Omar, has openly declared Shatta Wale as the modern torch-bearer of the fierce advocacy he and his generation started decades ago for Ghana’s creative industry.
Speaking to the media, the veteran musician said:
“I see myself in Shatta Wale.
He picked up what I started and has taken it to a completely different level.
I’m proud that today, a Ghanaian musician is finally getting the respect and attention we fought for all these years.”
Rex Omar, who has long been a vocal advocate for better royalties, copyright enforcement, and government support for the arts, praised Shatta Wale’s unapologetic style and relentless push for recognition as the natural evolution of that struggle.
“The energy, the boldness, the refusal to be silenced — that’s exactly what we did back then. Shatta just turned the volume up,” he said.
He also gave credit to President John Dramani Mahama’s government for finally listening:
“I was in South Africa when the 2026 Budget was read. For the first time ever, I heard GH₵20 million for the Film Fund, GH₵20 million for the Creative Arts Fund, and more allocations coming.
This is the fruit of decades of advocacy. His Excellency and this government are finally understanding.”
Rex Omar called the allocations seed funding, saying they can be leveraged to attract hundreds of millions more in private investment if managed transparently and professionally.
“We’re not there yet, but this is a step in the right direction. The creative economy can contribute billions to GDP if we get it right,” he stressed.
With the Mahama administration openly promising to make the creative arts a major pillar of the economy, Rex Omar’s endorsement of Shatta Wale as the new face of that fight has sent a powerful message:
