When Hiplife artiste, C-Zar announced his presence on the music scene in the year 2000 with his debut Afei Na Ma Ba album, he elicited many laughs for some of his lyrics and rhymes but also won admirers for his style.
The laughs notwithstanding, the old student of T.I Ahmadiyya Senior High School enjoyed a good career with hit albums like Sunsum Sofo (2003), Araba Lawson (2006), Mercy Lokko (2008) with the last release being Azonto Pandemic in 2012.
It’s been six years after the release of his last album and C-Zar’s fans have been awaiting more songs but their hopes may be dashed as he says he is out for the count.
While chatting with the Graphic Showbiz on Tuesday, the artiste admitted that his musical ambitions are over, considering his decision to go into business full time.
“I have quit music for good, I don’t want to die poor. Sincerely, show business doesn’t pay in our part of the world. See how all the veterans die as if they have never been in the limelight.
I don’t even want to see myself in such a condition in future where my family has to appeal for funds to take care of me should I fall sick,” he said.
“It is for this reason that I have decided to say goodbye to this trade which only gives you fame and attention but doesn’t pay so well.
I can say that barely 10 people in showbiz are really raking in huge sums which suits their status as celebrities but in reality, many are broke because it doesn’t pay much,” he added.
In the early 2000s, C-Zar was one of the popular artistes in the Hiplife industry.
His hit songs like Araba Lawson and Mercy Lokko were on the charts and the latter song won him the Hiplife Song of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards in 2009.
But the native of Nnaso in the Ashanti Region said while he was enjoying all the buzz, he was barely making enough from it.
“During my prime, there were producers who saw music as business and invested in it so until they paid for the cost of their investments, the artiste may not benefit.
“The truth is that, often times, there isn’t much after the producers have paid for all the expenses for cost of production so while you are making big hits, the returns are really little,” he said.
His inability to make good money as he wanted from music pushed him into the electricals business which he ran while making music.
And over a decade after and with three branches, C-Zar told Showbiz it is an important decision to quit music entirely now.
When asked if he decided to move on because he couldn’t keep up with the competition from the younger acts, he said, “Competition? I don’t know about competition getting me out of the game.
I’m not a failure and when you check my records, you will notice that all my albums were successful.
“I understand the game so I give the people what they want and that has been my trademark.
Music is time consuming and I don’t think I have the energy to juggle it with my business especially when it fetches me little returns,” C-Zar stated.
Culled from www.graphic.com.gh
