Music executive Kaywa has revealed singer Kurl Songx’s hit Jennifer Lomotey was given the named after rapper Sarkodie opened his guest verse with the name.

The legendary music producer said Sarkodie had initially come in to record for Whistle, which would become Songx’s second release, but it appeared he did not like the song much.

“So I played him Jennifer Lomotey,” Kaywa told Andy Dosty on Hitz FM. He said Sarkodie instantly gravitated towards this song, asked for the beat, went for a drive, came back to enthusiastically record and “nailed it”.

He revealed “crazy baby” was the original title of the 2017 megahit. However, “after Sarkodie’s rap [started with the name] Jennifer Lomotey, I said to myself that part would be very catchy”.

Booking Sarkodie 

“It was not easy, easy, easy getting Sarkodie. I remember I gave him Whistle – it was the first song I gave Sarkodie,” he disclosed.

“On the day he came to record, he had lost his voice, and I realised it wasn’t his vibe but he had to do that because he respected me.”

The church leader and sound engineer was very pleased to note some of the biggest songs from his Highly Spiritual record label had Sarkodie, whom he “revere and respect a lot for what he’s attained and achieved,” on them.

He revealed he went through the “same procedure” everyone else did to book the rap heavyweight for a collaboration, making sure “everything he requires – I can’t do it all – but for relationship sake,” was handled.

Okomfo Anokye-Krobo Curse

On the Highlife song, Sarkodie told a story about a woman called Jennifer Lomotey who was apparently of the Krobo people, and “bears the promiscuity curse by Okomfo Anokye”. 

Kaywa said he was “immediately” doubtful of the historicity of the sentiment, which to some was “a myth” and to others “it happened,” but maintained it because “usually, you're about to thrive or trend on these things”.

“We had no idea that in just a matter of time, some people would be calling and saying we should pull it down, and so, yeah, they called,” he added.

He revealed he was “worried,” about the backlash being a “peaceful man,” and so he phoned Sarkodie, who was adamant about making changes to the song because “it's a nice beautiful song”.

Kaywa emphasised the seriousness of the situation when he sat up and noted meetings were had with “our lawyers, the [Krobo] chiefs, and all that, in a certain hotel, I think around East Legon”.

While “they” favoured taking the song off the market, he said the eventual consensus was to record a version without the controversial line. That was done, he added, but he spoke to Sarkodie again just before making the song go public.

“He said this will distort the vibe. If we're not careful, it'll destroy the song entirely. So the best thing to do is when the artiste goes on radio, he can talk about it so that we demystify or make sure we take away that whole conversation,” he appeared to recall Sarkodie's remarks.

“And I think that's what we tried to do. And usually when you start doing that you kill the vibe small but the song had gone [spread to the masses] already.”