Kojo Cue has asserted filling iconic international venues is more valuable than chasing Grammy awards.

The recent clamour for Grammys among music makers and fans “is not important,” the rap star told Prince Benjamin (PB) on Accra 100.5 FM’s Entertainment Capital.

He brought up the topmost music awards scheme in Ghana, and contrasted it with the US Recording Academy’s awards show, point at power and position, to illustrate his point.

“The difference between the Ghana Music Awards and Grammys is that Ghana is a third-world country, and America is a first-world country,” Cue said. 

Doubling down, he said winning a Grammy as an African was like the Ghana Music Awards recognising non-Ghanaian Africans via their Best African Artist trophy. 

“They sometimes even give it to the one who graces the occasion. Meanwhile, we [Ghanaians] may not even know their [non-Ghanaian] music,” he went on.

“We are here craving for Grammys, but I can guarantee that in America, they don’t really listen to our music.”

“What matters to me is for us to spread our music globally,” Cue emphasised, explaining: “Hearing that our artistes have filled venues, like Sarkodie at the Apollos, is more important to me than Grammy matters.”

He said this was a more realistic and meaningful way of measuring the success of local music on foreign turfs.

“This way, I know [this number of] people really came out for you, jammed and enjoyed themselves,” he noted.

“But award shows that are not original to you, with about 90 per cent of voters not even knowing your name, does not prove anything significant.”

Ko-Jo blamed the media and music ecosystems for talking up the Grammys to the extent that fans have also caught the fever.

He bemoaned this trend was symptomatic of a worrying time when people no longer consume music for its primary purpose but were rather enamoured of numbers.

“People don’t listen to enjoy music anymore. They instead look at metrics, and ask about the numbers the song is doing,” he explained, strikingly noting that the most important question about music for consumers should be, “Do you like it or not?”

Cue said it was needless for consumers to debate over whether or not a song became a number one hit or garnered one million views on a particular platform.

He said these were some of the reasons he had an issue with award schemes.

Highlighting German-Ghanaian Highlife icon Daddy Lumba as “the greatest artist in the world” in his view, he underlined “he didn’t have a Grammy, and so I don’t worry over such accolades”.

Ko-Jo Cue's latest offering is Tontonte featuring Arathejay and Ofori Amponsah, heralding his second album, KANI: A Bantama Story, which is out in November 2025.

Recently, Ghanaian musicians and fans have expressed an unflinching desire for Grammy awards. Afro-Roots originator Rocky Dawumi is the most nominated Ghanaian at the scheme - four times - but is yet to win. 

For the upcoming 68th edition of the awards show, multiple contemporary Ghanaian musicians have submitted their music for the Recording Academy's consideration for a nomination and hopeful win. They prominently include: Shatta Wale, Gyakie, and Black Sherif.

Meanwhile Ghana's frenemy in music, Nigeria, in recent years has won multiple Grammys via artists like Burna Boy, Tems, and Wizkid.

In 2023, after Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr toured Africa, and made a stop in Ghana, the Grammys introduced the brand new Best African Music Performance category. South Africa's Tyla became the inaugural winner. Last year, Tems took the honour.

According to British-Ghanaian Dentaa Amoateng MBE, Mason Jr's consultant, the Recording Academy, looking to expand into Africa, will potentially launch the Africa Grammy Awards circa 2030.