No collabs, infrastructure… – Nabeyin, Grammy-nominated producer, tackles gaps in the industry

Ghana’s Edgar Nabeyin Panford, who worked wonders on Kanye West’s 14th track on the DONDA album, had a few things to say about the pitfalls in the music industry. He spoke to Berla Mundi from his studio, detailing the inspiration for organising a workshop for Ghanaian musicians.

For Nabeyin, working with artistes from the motherland is his way of serving humanity. He noted that receiving a Grammy nomination for his work on Kanye West’s album was a huge milestone in his career. “As soon as I was nominated, the first thing I wanted to do was figure out how I can be of service to build the music scene out there. And see how I can elevate the sound,” he said.

The Ghanaian music industry continues to thrive, but some areas need polishing. Nabeyin talks about the absence of infrastructure, among other things, within the industry.

“I felt what was missing was collaboration. Two, there’s really no infrastructure within the industry there. And three, just better productions when it comes to these records.”

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Nabeyin brought top songwriters from the United States to Ghana to facilitate cultural exchange and a writing camp to tackle the deficiencies in the industry. He noted Kofi Jamar, Quamina MP, Fameye, Stonebwoy and Rocky Dawuni as participants.

Speaking about his Grammy nomination, Nabeyin revealed that he thought he would have been nominated earlier for his work with Drake. Unfortunately, that record was not submitted for that year.

Last, he received a Grammy certificate for contributing to Kanye West’s Grammy-winning Donda album.

“For me, it was a long time coming. Me being nominated definitely helped me get into more rooms with artistes. And as far as how it impacted me in Ghana, I’m slowly becoming a bubbling star in Ghana because I’m one of the few producers nominated for a Grammy. It was just crazy to see how much support that I got from the Ghanaian community.”

After about 14 years in the industry, Nabeyin has worked with top guns, including Kanye West, Drake, Nas, Rocky Dawuni, The Game, Miguel, Reason, Isaiah Rashad, Wale and Dave East.

 

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