Epixode, a reggae dancehall recording artist, creative director, and fine arts painter, believes that the reggae and dancehall genres should be separated.
The reason, according to him, is that both genres of music are distinct and thus the artists should be recognized separately based on their musical genre.
"I feel like there are some artists who are solely reggae artists and that person may be big on the reggae scene but it could also be that we are super vibrant when it comes to dancehall because dancehall is more super vibrant than reggae. Unlike in the east, where reggae predominates over dancehall, dancehall predominates here." He told Foster Romanus on eTV's Late Nite Celebrity Show.
"So the reggae artist might have done very well and will be in the same category as the dancehall artist," he said, "but it's only in Ghana that both are being merged, despite the fact that there is a very big difference between both genres."
When discussing the differences between the two, he stated, "Dancehall, in my opinion, is more like a son or grandson of reggae.
They are both from Jamaica, and before reggae, there was a genre called Ska, then there was rock study, and then reggae gave birth to genres like lovers rock, one drop, and dance."
According to Epixode, while both convey the same messages such as positivity, suffering, elevation, and more, dancehall adds some vibrancy to it.
"So I think both are a little different, and I think it will only be fair to separate the two when giving awards so that every artist in each sector can be seen and light will be thrown on those artists," he said.