Jesus Muhammad interviews C-Tea Beat

You could call him a cross between The Godfather and the Pied Piper of Hamelin. His name is only now beginning to make the rounds, but he’s a producer who’s been around for a long time, with a number of hits to his name. That’s because C-Tea Beat prefers to stay in the background, away from all the lights of show business. Nonetheless, those strings he pulls on get speakers banging, people singing songs he’s worked on, and others moving to tunes he’s worked his magic on. Jesus Muhammad met up with him at the venue of a writing camp held somewhere in East Legon for a conversation.  

 

Yo C-Tea. Thanks for making time to talk to me. I can see it’s really busy in here. We’re basically here to find out who the man C-Tea is, what your story is. But before all of that, big congrats on your Grammy win.

Haha. Thanks chale. Bless up!

 

You’re one of the select few from this side who have managed to attain that kind of recognition. For sure, having a Grammy to your name is honourable, but in my opinion, I don’t believe that’s all a musician, especially a non-American one, should strive for. There are many legendary musicians, even from the US, who have never won a Grammy and their legacy is still untouchable. It’s a wonder to me, and a source of worry as well, how for some years now, the Ghanaian music space has become so Grammy conscious. Grammy this, Grammy that.  Surprisingly, most of the guys making all that noise aren’t even putting in the required work. You’ve showed us that it’s about the work, not the talk; that the work should talk for itself.

Hahaha. Thanks chale. I appreciate that.

                                   Photo credit: C-Tea Beat

 

So does the name C-Tea have any relation to Cocoa Tea, [the Jamaican legend]? 

Ermm yeah, it’s kind of related. Back in JSS, I used to be called Ajoo Lasi; the guys shortened it to Ajoo. “Ajoo!”, “Azay Ajoo!” Haha. Then I went to secondary school. I used to be really scared of the seniors, and it turned out that where we had to go eat, not the dining hall but the bush canteen, was where the seniors used to typically hang out. And chale you know how rampant and severe bullying was back in the day, it was no joke at all. I doubt the kids today have it like we used to. Because of bullying, instead of staying in a dormitory on campus as a freshman, I decided to stay in a hostel in town, just so I could have my peace of mind. Having made the decision that I wanted to stay as far away from the seniors as possible, I started taking Milo and biscuits to school. I used to prepare the Milo and bottle it myself. I’d find a corner somewhere on campus where I could hide and enjoy my meal in peace when it was break time. Making Milo became something that I did a lot, and the other guys in the hostel used to see how I thick and rich I used to make it. Haha. One day, while I was in the corner enjoying my drink, one of the guys found me hiding there and said “but chale, you knorr say you really dey like make cocoa tea?”. Out of nowhere, another guy also showed up and said “the cocoa tea dey go on!”. Fast forward, one of my classmates was chatting with a girl in class some time later, and when he’d ran out of things to talk about, he made me the topic. He asked her while pointing to me, “you see that guy, do you know his name in the hostel?”. And you know how when women like a nickie, they don’t stop calling the name. Once he told her, the name spread like wildfire. But there was already the Jamaican musician called Cocoa Tea, so I modified mine by making it C-Tea. And yeah, that’s how I became C-Tea.

 

Ohok. Hahaha. That’s an interesting story. What’s the name on your documents tho?

The name given to me by my parents is Jonathan Takyi-Mensah.

 

What’s your background, C-Tea? Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

The exact place where I was born was the Agona Dunkwa Hopsital, but I grew up in Swedru with my grandparents; strangely enough, I’d always thought that they were my parents.

 

Oh yeah?!

Yeah chale. Haha. I only found out when I’d grown up. We’ll delve into that later.

 

Ok.

In 2007, my mum, who is a teacher, was posted to Tema. So I moved with her. It was a whole different environment and vibe, compared to Swedru. Swedru is a small town so we all kind of knew each other, but Tema...! Tema is a huge city. Just like any other migrants tho, we had to quickly read the system, adjust suitably, and find our feet. We own a house in Community 25 now and that’s where we live. God has been good, that’s all I can say.

 

Nice. How about education tho? Where did you school?

I attended the Calvary School in Swedru for my basic education, then attended Aggrey Memorial A.M.E Zion Secondary School in Cape Coast. I completed in 2007. It was after leaving Aggrey that I moved to Tema with my mum. It had been my dream to go to uni abroad; back then, then all the boys boys want fly, nobody wanted to be in Ghana. So that was the energy I was on. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to school abroad because I was denied the visa. Looking back now, I realise that I was denied the visa because I didn’t know much about myself to answer questions appropriately during the visa interview. For example, when you’re filling visa application forms and stuff like that, certain questions are asked and when I had to fill in my father’s name, I was told it was Alex Mensah when I asked. I didn’t know anyone called Alex Mensah; at least, that wasn’t the name of the person who I’d all along thought was my father. I was never told who he was, but I cast my mind back to an incident where I was taken to go see a charred body at a hospital as a kid, and after putting two and two together, it hit me that that had actually been my dad I’d been taken to go see. He passed away in an accident. So yeah, I had everything done for me and that deprived me of the opportunity to get to know myself. Unfortunately, we sometimes tend to think money solves every problem but that’s wrong. Getting to know yourself and what you want to achieve is of the utmost importance. Once that’s achieved, that’s half or even more than half of the work done. It also makes it easier for others to assist you. So yeah, I got denied an American visa twice because I didn’t know myself. Unfortunate, right?!

 

Yeah, that’s quite unfortunate.

I’d really wanted to study film and animation; I had a passion for those things, and I loved cameras and gadgets in general. Prior to all of this tho, or let’s say while all this was going on, I had been pursuing a course at IPMC. It was cool and all for a year but after a year, I got denied the visa for the second time and it took a heavy toll on me. It got me depressed. Just within the week that I’d been denied the visa, my uncle mentioned that he had an upcoming business trip to South Africa, and realising how depressed I had become, he asked me to join him on the trip in a bid to lift my spirits. I told him I wasn’t interested in travelling to any African country, all I wanted to do was to go to America. I was even granted the South African visa without showing up at the South African High Commission. Haha. So I joined my uncle on the trip for one week, and that was when I realised “God damn! This place is far from what I’d ever imagined! It feels like the UK, maybe even better. And I see all my black people around so I can even blend in nicely.” So guess what? I stayed an extra week in South Africa, my uncle left me there. Haha. Leaving the comfort of my hotel room, I walked around the city a lot. It wasn’t only in a bid to see the city tho; I was also on a quest to find a music shop where I could buy some gadgets for music.  

 

As in gadgets to listen to music or gadgets to make music?

Gadgets to make music. I started making music in 2004, that was in the first year of secondary school. I had some friends who had desktop computers and I also had one; the ones with the big headed monitors. Haha. So I’d started making music digitally from that time. Even though I wasn’t great at the time, I kept learning; I clearly had the passion. While most of the guys were playing video games like FIFA, I was focused on making beats. It progressed from there. I got myself a laptop and other stuff to help me with my music, and I kept going up from there. I wouldn’t say I followed music tho, it rather followed me. I digressed tho. So being in SA, I wanted to take advantage of the trip to purchase gadgets to enhance my music production because I needed to up my game. I eventually found a shop where I bought some gadgets and a microphone. While I was paying for the items I’d picked up, the shop attendant mentioned it to me that they also had a music school. As in, the owners of the shop also run a music school. Excited, I asked if they taught music production using Pro Tools. The response was “Naah! Not yet. We start that in two (2) years.” So I asked that my name be put on the waiting list and I also gave them my details asking them to reach out to me when the course was about to commence so I could enroll. So I returned to Ghana after two (2) weeks. Fast forward to 2012, I received a message from them informing me that they were finally enrolling students for the course.

                              Photo credit: C-Tea Beat

 

Oh they kept their word?!

Yeah, they did! So on 31^st January 2012, I left for South Africa. A few days after my arrival, I celebrated my first birthday in SA. That was crazy. Haha. After three years in the school, my name landed on the school’s Wall of Fame as a thriving student. I was doing great because I was doing something I loved and I poured all my heart into it. That was the first school I attended where I didn’t fail at any course. Prior to that, I’d failed at almost everything else that was school-related. I bombed my BECE chale; I don’t even have both my BECE and SSSCE certificates. I wasn’t even bothered to go collect them because I fucked up real bad, I know it myself. But hey, I did what I love and that’s what has got me here.

 

Interesting! So what would you say are you interests? You’ve established that you love cameras, and you love music. Aside those, what other interests do you have?

I love to think. I think a lot. I’m not someone who loves to be around lots of people. I’m not an introvert tho; I go out when I’m ready to step out. But I also enjoy keeping to myself in my little corner. The reason why I love to think is that it gives me the space to rejuvenate, and rejuvenation should be one of the most important parts of every man’s life. And it’s not because I’m bougie or anything. Life just tends to get overwhelming when you have a lot of people around you and there’s a whole lot happening around you. You could lose yourself easily in such environments, meanwhile knowing who you are and finding your purpose are essential to your success as a person. Having lived all by myself in a foreign land, knowing no one around me, forced me to spend a lot of time with myself and I’d say that’s how I found myself. That period taught me how spending time alone was essential to being and I’ve made it my utmost priority ever since. I could be with you and be quiet the whole time and it’s not because I’m sad or anything. I’m very observant. My people-reading abilities are second to none. I don’t even need to see or hear too much; all I need is a few minutes of observation and I’ll be able to tell how a scenario would play out or if someone is real or fake.

 

Haha. Oh cool. That’s an important superpower you possess then. It would always come in handy. So you’ve already mentioned what got you into music. I’d like to know tho, did you have music around you growing up?

Naah, really nothing of the sort chale. The only person I knew who was involved in music was my mum. She was a chorister in the church I grew up attending. Looking back now, I may have been indirectly influenced by her tho. I’m someone who learns a lot through the “copy and paste” method. When I see someone do something, I like to do exactly what I saw them do. Once that’s done, I add my own touch. I’m really good at mimicking and teasing people; and that’s because I was teased a lot while growing up. Hahaha.

 

Hahaha. Who would you say are your musical influences?

Musical influences?! Herh! Honestly, Chris Brown is number one but...

 

Chris Brown?!

Yeah! Chris Brown! People don’t like him but I love him...

 

For me I love Chris Brown. I fucking love Chris Brown!

He’s my G. I think he’s a great guy. It’s crazy to me that he’s taught me a lot and I’ve personally never even met him. Just by listening to him, I learnt a whole lot. Him aside, the producers I looked up a lot to were Pharrell, Timbaland and Kanye joined that list later on. I also look up to myself. Haha. Having those guys as my idols really helped shape my sound. Young C-Tea choose to study their art because he also wanted to be great, and after all these years of perfecting my craft, I’m honoured to say that my work has found its way to their desks…

                                    Photo credit: C-Tea Beat

 

Oh yeah?!

Yeah, yeah. Forreal! And their responses showed that they fuck with me too. Their comments on my work injected me with nothing but pride and joy. People I looked up to have heard my shit and fuck with it so I’m good. I’m fulfilled. All the years of painstaking learning and dedication paid off. I appreciate young me deciding to look up to those guys, so that also makes me one of my inspirations. Oh, and girls too! They’re also an inspiration.

 

Hahaha. Girls? How’s that? Do they push you to do better?

Girls, just them being there, adds to the ambiance. Some people love to go snorkeling or scuba diving to see coral fishes for inspiration. Those creatures are lovely chale and the experience is one that you’ll crave for more often after your first time. But for me, women are my inspiration. It’s not always even about the ‘tapping’ sh*t. Being surrounded by women whom I’m friends with, conversing with them, and enjoying their vibes gives me ideas for creating music.

 

I feel you. Haha. Let’s talk about your projects now. What are some of the projects you’ve worked on or projects you’ve released?

Honestly, I’ve worked on a lot chale. But let’s see… So I’ve worked with Black Coffee, with Flavour, a whole lot of songs with Una Rams. Actually I produced his whole EP. I call Una my big bro because he really held me down during my time in SA, but in actuality, he’s younger than I am. I also worked on Tapsy’s album which is yet to be released; he’s also from SA. I did some stuff with Sarkodie, way back. And Pato Ranking as well…

 

I see you work with Pato [Ranking] a lot.

Yeah, that’s true.

                                Photo credit: C-Tea Beat

 

Do you guys still work?

Yeah, we do. Actually, we’re currently working on some stuff.

 

Ohok. Nice. I’ll be looking forward to hearing that then. I saw this picture of you, Sarkodie and Tim Brown from back in the day. It was circa 08, I think…

Haha. Yeah, that’s true.

 

Those were your Gs? What’s the relationship with Sarkodie like?

You know what? That picture was actually taken the [very] first time I was in the studio with Sarkodie. I used an iPhone at the time and that’s what I took that picture with.

 

He wasn’t your guy?

Naah, I wouldn’t say that. He was a rapper, and I was a producer. We just met to get work done and happened to take that picture. Those were the days when he was on the come up. Everyone expected him to become who he is now. We were hungry for success chale. We can both confidently say “Mama I made it!” now. Haha.

 

Which songs did you guys’ work on together?

A number of songs but only one of them was released because the disk I saved the stuff we recorded on crashed. I didn’t have my own studio back then. The one we managed to release tho was ‘One Time for Your Mind’. I’m sure you can find it on YouTube or somewhere on the Internet. So aside being the first time I worked with Sark, that song was my big break, and also my first mainstream record.

Oh nice! That’s interesting. Sniper also played me a tape of yours where you were killing it with the vocals…

Oh yeah. Chale, that was back in SA and during the period when I recorded that tape, I was in a really dark place. I was struggling chale, being in another man’s land and not knowing anyone, it’s no joke chale. You already know that in life, there’s ups and downs, and you sometimes need to go through the down times to be able to succeed. Being in that low place got me feeling like I had crashed into a wall and there was no way forward. But the positive part is it also got me thinking; prior to that, I used to just act on a whim and do things haphazardly. While going through that episode and processing my thoughts, I decided to approach things differently going forward. And that’s what made me reshape myself to be able to become who I am today. I made that project…

 

What’s it called?

It’s entitled I’m Alive. At that point in my life, I felt like I was dead; to myself and to my career. Like, as a person, I hadn’t looked within enough to even know myself and I was struggling trying to figure out what was happening to me. I created the first song as a victory song, a song of affirmation to remind myself that I was certainly alive and anything that I’d been dreaming of, I could certainly achieve. So that low place spawned that project.

 

How many songs are on there?

Eight (8) songs. The first track was ‘I’m Alive’. Even though I had equipment, I went to a friend’s place to record. I recorded it in the middle of the night and I cried throughout the recording process. Luckily for me, my friend didn’t hear me cry because he had fallen asleep; he was high AF. Haha. Chale, that session was deep for me. I shot and edited the video all by myself too. Then I put it out on YouTube. Years down the line, I’m still making money from that project.

 

It sounds like South Africa was really tough on you.

Naah. I wouldn’t necessarily use the word tough. In my opinion, it was the best place to be. It helped me find myself. In retrospect, I could say it was tough on me, but chale, Ghana was tougher. In Ghana, I had dreams which weren’t working, I had dreams but I couldn’t make any money out of them. And it’s because at that time of my life, the system wasn’t working like it is now.

 

I feel you. Even now, there are still many problems.

Exactly! A lot of people still complain about the structures and stuff, and they aren’t wrong, but I’ve told myself that I don’t want to become part of the complaining bunch. I just want to appreciate whatever is working and hope that things get better.

 

Ok. Focusing on the positives, right?! But where did you live in SA? Joburg?

No, I lived in Pretoria. Hatfield, to be precise.

 

And how about the name of the music school you attended?  

It’s called Emendy Multimedia Institute.

 

Ok. Could you name some of the people you’ve collaborated with?

I’ve worked with Black Coffee. Don Jazzy; we produced a song for the Big Brother 2017 housemates. I worked with the late Robbie Malinga. I produced Ofei’s song where he featured Pato Ranking, did Robbie Adams song where he featured Stonebwoy. These are just a few of them chale, but I’ve done a lot. Davido, the late Sound Sultan, Una Rams, Falz. I also mixed many of the songs on Kwesi Arthur’s Songs of Jacob album. Sometimes, I’m amazed at myself. The other day, I was going through my folder and I realized I’ve worked with almost 200 artists in my catalogue. That’s crazy, especially when I think of where I came from. Pffff!

 

That’s phenomenal chale. Congrats! What would you say have been some of your struggles and successes tho since you decided to embark on a professional music career?

For the struggles, I’d say people not wanting to pay for my craft and others trying to underpay. Then there were those who also tried to downplay my knowledge. They think if you’re not as big as Kiddominant or those other big name producers, then you don’t deserve to charge them at a certain level. Another issue was not getting the credit man deserved, especially when it came to publishing. People would try to cheat me. But most of these things happened at a time when I didn’t know much about the music business. I know better know now, so I don’t consider them struggles anymore. For the upsides or success, I’ve won two awards, of which a Grammy is one of them, I’ve been recognized as one of the successful alumni from my school in South Africa and endorsed by them as well. I failed all my pre-tertiary education, so to put my heart and soul into this and get recognised by my school, it really means a lot to me. C-Tea, up on the school’s wall of fame with guys such as DJ Maphorisa and Timo ODV.

 

Oh interesting! Have you ever been invited to give a talk at your alma mater?

Oh yeah! I did a number of those before I even returned to Ghana. Even being here in Ghana, I’ve received invitations to give virtual talks to the students in collaboration with other mixing engineers and mastering engineers.

 

Nice to know you’re sharing your knowledge with those who have decided to follow the path you took. But tell me C-Tea, do you think you get radio love, especially here in Ghana?

No, I wouldn’t say so. Or lemme say not really, because now I think people are beginning to show me love. But don’t blame the guys on radio. I’m partly to blame for that; I don’t promote my stuff that much, so if my stuff doesn’t make it onto radio, I can’t be mad at them. I’ve rather been low key, trying to focus on the company I established with my guy, which is The Cloud Audio. Yeah, that’s what I’ve been drawn into lately, more than being a producer or a musician, because I’m trying to ensure that what we’ve established becomes well-grounded, so we can empower other people.

 

Ok. What tho brought about the change? What do you think made radio start paying attention to you? Is it the Grammy win?

Noooo. It wasn’t the Grammy. Haha. It’s like this; you can’t interview someone who has nothing doing. That’s it. I really haven’t had anything to give them for them to interview me, so why would they invite me to interviews? I don’t have anything I’m promoting so I don’t see why I need to advertise myself. But that’s why I have my social media pages to keep my fans and followers updated with what I’m up to.

 

But at least, certain songs you’ve produced have been hits and they’ve enjoyed massive airplay. Right?

Yeah, people know the songs but they don’t know who’s behind the songs on production because I’ve been hiding in the background. That’s how I prefer it. So I can’t blame the radio guys.

 

You’ve said that you’re still benefitting from [the songs on] the I’m Alive project, which you uploaded on YouTube. What’s your YouTube looking like?  

I don’t have a huge followership or lots of subscriptions on YouTube because I’m not consistent on posting content. But that’s fine. I’m looking at posting more going ahead.

 

Is there anything you consider as industry drama?

Gatekeepers! In my opinion, they’re the epitome of industry drama.

Hahaha. Gatekeepers eh?

Oh yeah! I don’t want to go too far. But I believe everyone who is reading knows who gatekeepers are. Just imagine you’re going to a club, all dressed up, but you get to the door and the bouncer tells you that you’re not allowed in. Meanwhile, you’re the one going to spend your hard-earned money. Those are the gatekeepers, and we hate them. Nobody likes bouncers, who likes a bouncer?

                                     Photo credit: C-Tea Beat

Nobody! Hahaha…

Exactly!

 

So who’re the artists you’re currently feeling? The guys you feel are doing amazing stuff.

Honestly, I can’t give specific names because I barely listen to music. I only passively listen to music when I’m out. I don’t think I know any new artists save for those I know personally. If I happen to be watching telly at home and your stuff comes on, I may have the time to view and appreciate your stuff. Outside of that tho, I can’t say I listen to music. If it’s not my Chris Brown, forget.

 

Hahaha… 

But hey, I’m feeling Sabaga, Sablar, Yeyo. Then there’s Kelvin Black, Gyakie and Ofei. These are guys whom I know personally, are close to me, and I see trying hard to do their best.  Che Wulaam in the States too.

 

Ok. Let’s talk about fashion. How deep into fashion are you?

I’m not deep into fashion like that. I like to look simple, I just like to show up looking okay. I don’t like to smell bad. Even when I wear chale wote, I should look simple and clean, and someone should be able to see me and say ‘Mmm… this guy smells good.’ I’m not into styling myself and stuff like that; I do that only when I’m shooting a video or it’s for a particular purpose. Otherwise, that’s not my kind of thing. I don’t think my closet is even filled with clothes. All I think I can say about fashion is I love Puma.   

 

Haha. Yeah, I see that. You’ve got on a Puma tracksuit, socks and slides. That’s one of the first things I noticed tonight.

Yeah, a hint here and there. That should suffice. Haha

 

So you’d say Puma is your go-to brand?

Yeah. They keep it simple and nice. Simple like me.

 

Well, I agree. I’ve also got a pair of Pumas on. Haha.

Yeah, I noticed it too. I’ve got a pair of those myself.

 

Oh yeah?! Nice! So let’s play a quick game. Nothing too difficult…

I hope I’m not going to fail at this like I did for my JSS and SSS exams. Haha…

                                         Photo credit: C-Tea Beat

 

Oh naah! No failiure. There’s no marking scheme. Haha. I’ll just ask you some questions; each of them has two options to choose from so you just tell me which is your preference.

Alright! Sharp, let’s try it!

 

Kenkey or Fufu?

Hm! As I dey come here sef, I chop fufu so I no even want chop anything. I’m a full Kwahu man so I like my fufu.

 

Haha. Ok. Drink and Drive or Smoke and Fly?

Drink and Drive.

 

Hip-Hop or R&B?

R&B.

 

Tall or Short Women?

Anything goes, as long as they’re thick. But my girlfriend is short so I’d choose her.

 

All Black or All White?

Anything goes. I know I look good in black but my personal preference is white because I want to shine. However, I’ve realized that a lot of times when I wear black, I get a lot of compliments.

 

Ayy. Pop Corn or Plantain Chips?

Hm! Plantain chips forever!

 

Haha. Plantain chips forever. Ok. Music Video or Audio?

Music video! I like to see botoss!

 

Hahaha…

I like to see creativity, basically. So yeah…

 

Ok. Club or Origin?

Hm! Club! Those guys need to sponsor me.  They don’t know how deep my love for Club is. As you can see, I’m drinking Club…

 

                                                    Photo credit: C-Tea Beat

Yeah, with a straw.

Yeah, that’s my cocktail.

 

Hahaha. T-shirt or Buttoned Shirt?

T-shirt.

 

Android or iOS?

iOS! I had my first iOS in 2007. And I’ve never looked back. Prior to that, I’d used Nokia, Panasonic, LG. But since the iPhone came into my life, that’s been it.

 

Haha. Ok. Beach Front or Lake Front?

I like both of them for different reasons.

 

Last question. Netflix and Chill or Go Dancing?

Netflix and Chill for me.

 

Nice! So going forward, what should we expect from C-Tea?

Guys, I don’t want to lie to you chale. Don’t expect anything from me. Just expect the fact that I exist, and I’m alive. That’s all.

 

Hahaha. Ok. But before we end this interesting conversation, how did the Grammy win make you feel? First of all, could you tell us how you got to meet Black Coffee?   

Like I mentioned earlier, I have an artist friend called Una Rams in SA. He and his family held me down during my time there, but I also worked with him and he’s currently doing great. So it happened that he went back to his hometown for a performance, and Black Coffee was also billed to perform at that concert. Now, the guy who was driving Black Coffee to the show was playing an Una Rams song called ‘Girls Like You’ in the car and Black Coffee was like ‘Who’s this guy? I like him. His music is good.’ And the driver tells him, so he’s like ‘I’d like to meet him.’ When they finally met, Black Coffee was like ‘Let’s have a session. Who’s your producer?’, and Una mentioned my name. So Black Coffee asked us to link up, and we did. We went to his studio, made some music, and later, he helped us by letting his management company handle our stuff for us. He also used to invite us to his birthday parties. Further down the line, he started sending us materials to work on for some big name guys; guys’ whose names I can’t mention because of confidentiality. He also opened doors for me on the international market. Later, we did a song called ‘Flava’ which made it onto his album because he really liked the song…

 

Oh nice!

Yeah, and here we are chale. We ended up with a Grammy nomination, and to top it all off, we won. Winning made my life make sense to me; I feel it was better than any birthday celebration I ever had. Haha. I’ve been in the music game for close to fifteen (15) years and I never had any substantial form of recognition; well, I was awarded the Best South African-based Music Producer by the Ghana Music Awards South Africa in 2018, and I’ve won nothing since. Even in Ghana, I’ve never been nominated for nothing as a producer. So, for me to just climb the ladder…

 

To the top!…

Yeah! To the topmost point, to the point where [almost] everyone is trying to get, is definitely worth it and it’s a great feeling. To the [new] artists who are trying to get to that level, sorry guys. I beat you to it. Haha. But keep going after your dreams; it’s possible and you can do it too. If C-Tea did it, you can.

 

When the news dropped that the album had won …

Chale, I shouted. I danced. I was so excited and I literally said to myself ‘This is a good feeling and I want to carry on with this energy!’ And in retrospect, chale I like how I move. I don’t move with a lot of people. I don’t follow the crowd. I don’t do what everybody wants. I just do what’s right and I do it at the right time. See? Sometimes, you need to understand yourself to find the right things. I’ve never been someone to chase after every other artist. Till date, the only person I want to be in the studio with is Chris Brown, and I know should it ever happen, I’m going to impact his life.

 

Oh, so you’re looking forward to working with Chris Brown?

Forreal chale! You’ll see it. Don’t worry! Unless I die. Even if he’s fifty (50) years old, that song will make him look thirteen (13) years old.

 

Haha. Have you got your plaque from the Recording Academy yet?

No, I don’t get a plaque. I get a certificate indicating that I’m a Grammy winning producer. You only get a plaque when you’ve contributed about 50% playtime to a project.

 

Ohok.

Yeah

 

It’s been interesting talking to you C-Tea.

Thanks chale.

 

And thank you for hosting us. We’re grateful.

But hey, I still got something I’d like to share with the people. Perfection will only exist when you constantly practise. Keep up with the practice, and you’ll end up perfect. I no dey flex, I just dey enjoy masef because I’m actually grateful to be where I am today. It’s by God’s grace. There’s surely someone out there reading this who also wants to win a Grammy, but after winning the Grammy, what happens?

 

True. The goal mustn’t be winning a Grammy.

I am excited about it because it has happened. I actually spoke it into existence. But now that I have it, what do I do with that status? Would you want me to be that friend of yours who won a Grammy, but never did anything with it? I don’t want to be that person. So I need to keep perfecting myself, because that’s the only way I’d attain perfection.

 

Real talk! I forgot to ask tho. Are you working with a lot more Ghanaian artists now?

Yeah, I prefer to work more with upcoming artists than with mainstream artists.

 

Why’s that? Is it easier to mold them or easier for you to see each other on a certain level?

Naaah! Come on chale! I’m a king maker. Anything I touch, turns out nice. Like I told you, even if I get to work with Chris Brown when he’s fifty (50), I’ll make him sound like a thirteen (13) year old. That’s the confidence I speak with. So I’m saying, as an upcoming artist, if I touch you, your life will never be the same. Why then, would I spend my time on someone who’s already made? Come on chale! Remember, just one song from C-Tea can change your life, once you believe in what I’ve done for you. If you don’t believe in me, don’t come to me because it won’t work. I can even give you 50 beats and you’ll never blow because it’s all about your belief. I believe in only three (3) things; belief, faith, and trust. I could add hope but hope and belief are similar so… If you trust in me, you believe in me, so when I tell you something through my faith, I expect you to have belief! Remember you met a guy outside who said he’s where he’s currently at because a word of advice I gave him once when I gave him a lift kept him going? And that’s just advice, not even money. So yeah.

Last question. How much do you usually charge for your services?

Oh, when it comes to music, I could inflate the figures. But now that I’m a Grammy winner, it’ll be at least $30,000 per beat. Once you have a Grammy as a producer, your price goes up. But I can’t charge a regular Ghanaian artist that sum because they don’t have that kind of money, so I would have to deal with the labels. That’s what I’m working towards. So now, I’m at home making beats and prepping myself for the right market. Not just the local guys. With my current status, it’ll be easier to turn guys who I pick into notable acts. Remember, there’s always a head for a train.

 

Hahaha. It’s been mad inspiring and interesting talking to you C-Tea. I really enjoyed myself, and it was an honour to get to hear your story. Thanks again. Bless up!

Thanks. I enjoyed myself too chale. Bless up!