Media personality and reggae musician Blakk Rasta has claimed that Stonebwoy spends more than $250,000 on every edition of Bhimfest without any support.
Reacting to Stonebwoy’s recent Bhimfest at London’s OVO Arena Wembley, Blakk Rasta said the dancehall artiste has continually financed the festival from his own pocket, even though the revenue generated from ticket sales does not match the cost of organising it.
“At least he spends $250,000 to bring people here. You know how much that is? More than GH¢2.5 million on every Bhimfest that he hosts here. How many tickets is he able to sell? How many?” Blakk Rasta stated on his show.
According to him, Stonebwoy’s financial commitment goes beyond staging the event; he also spends heavily on flying in international acts, paying appearance fees, and catering for their welfare throughout their stay in Ghana.
“He brings Jamaican artists, pays them a lot of money. The last time Fantan Mojah was here, he told me how much Stonebwoy paid him. I couldn’t believe it because I honestly don’t pay artists like that for Kuchoko Roots Festival. I can’t even pay half of what Stonebwoy paid Fantan Mojah,” he revealed.
Blakk Rasta added that Stonebwoy has hosted renowned Jamaican stars, including Spice, Busy Signal, Masicka and Fantan Mojah, while providing them with quality accommodation, feeding and other hospitality.
“He gave him a nice place to sleep, good food and other additives. He brought Spice to this country. Busy Signal here. He brought Masicka here,” he said.
The broadcaster also applauded Stonebwoy for taking Bhimfest to the United Kingdom without backing from sponsors or major event organisers, describing the move as a bold step towards expanding the brand globally.
“Stonebwoy spent money from his own pocket. No sponsors. Nothing. No big organizers. He did it on his own in the UK. He took Bhimfest to the UK,” he stated.
Blakk Rasta expressed optimism that Stonebwoy’s successful staging of the event at the OVO Arena Wembley would open more doors for Ghanaian musicians internationally.
“He’s taken it all the way to London. He’s seen how Nigerians are doing it. He wants to be able to push us into doing that so that a lot of the glory would also come to Ghana, so that one day Ghanaian artists can also get up and go to Wembley and comfortably fill the place because somebody set the pace,” he added.
@riddimsghananetwork Stonebwoy spends over $250,000 on every Bhimfest without sponsorship – Blakk Rasta In addition to giving a fantastic performance, Stonebwoy is opening doors for Ghanaian performers to perform in larger London venues. However, just like he does with BhimFest in Ghana, Stonebwoy used his own pocket money to organise BhimFest in London without seeking sponsors. #creatorsearchinsights
♬ original sound – Riddims Ghana Network – Riddims Ghana Network
