Highlife star singer-songwriter and composer Akwaboah would want an organisation formed to specifically monitor music played in the media, so that offensive and controversial lyrics would be censored effectively.

“That way, if a child goes to consume it, we know he did so against preventative measures,” the Gangsta Loving hitmaker said, bemoaning how unhealthy content was rampant on social media, too.

He spoke to Nana Romeo on Accra 100.5 FM’s Ayekoo Ayekoo.

He applauded how controversial words were strictly “muted” in the media in the West, allowing for family-friendly listenership.

“That way, if you want to hear those words, you can go elsewhere for the full original experience,” he said.

Furthermore, Akwaboah admonished musicians and listeners to be wary of what they create and consume, respectively. He advocated self-control on both ends.

He asked music makers to appreciate, “As much as you wrote the song [privately], you made it for the public.

“Everything you say affects people’s life. We need to be mindful of the song we create.”

He observed how “some veterans I know” are tastefully in how they speak about erotic and controversial subjects in their songs, preferring to use proverbial and cryptic language.

“Let’s cloth some of our lyrics [in mystery and proverbs],” he urged today’s musicians.

Akwaboah emphasised that while mindfulness and personal responsibility was needed on the side of music consumers so they do not practice everything said in songs, “if you the musician does not control what you create, also, you are not helping”.

He asserted art that was healthy and not destructive was a moral duty.

“Yes, so the advice I’d give is, yes, we can talk about love, sex, weed, and other things, but bear in mind someone is probably listening to you and might destroy their lives as a result. Tomorrow when you’re 50, 60 years, would you be proud of these songs? It might, however, be too late. You’d have destroyed someone’s child. Someone would have pulled a gun already. So whatever we’re saying [in our music] let’s put a rule to it [and be measured] knowing whatever you say is going to affect somebody’s life, else it’d be foment trouble,” the multiple award-winning musician said.

He advised against “blindly copying” Western cultures, knowing very well the African context may not have the same structures of control as the West.