Ghanaian hiplife veteran Mzbel has publicly spoken about her strained relationship with Afro-dancehall star Stonebwoy, revealing how what was once a friendship gradually turned into distance and disappointment.

Speaking in an interview June 4, 2026, the “16 Years” hitmaker recounted how she and Stonebwoy were once on good terms before things allegedly changed as the musician’s career reached new heights.

“Stonebwoy used to be my friend, but as his brand started growing, he cut me off and unfollowed me on all social media platforms,” Mzbel said.

The outspoken singer explained that although the situation hurt her initially, she eventually accepted it and moved on. However, she noted that another incident in 2024 affected her more deeply and altered the way she viewed the dancehall artiste.

According to Mzbel, the issue resurfaced after the Recording Academy published an article by Nana Kojo Mula titled “10 Artists Essential to Ghanaian Hiplife: Reggie Rockstone, Sarkodie, Mzbel & More.” The article celebrated some of Ghana’s most influential hiplife figures, including Mzbel herself.

She said Stonebwoy reacted publicly to the publication by questioning why his name was absent from the list and advising the Recording Academy to “do due diligence before they publish half-dozen articles aiming to capture the true image of the state of the Ghanaian sound.”

Mzbel stated that his comments felt dismissive to the artistes who had been acknowledged in the piece and believed the reaction shifted attention away from the celebration of hiplife pioneers and contributors.

“That was painful, but what hurt me the most was what happened when the Grammy article, ‘10 Artists Essential to Ghanaian Hiplife: Reggie Rockstone, Sarkodie, Mzbel & More’, was published. Instead of allowing the artistes featured in the article, including myself, to enjoy and celebrate the recognition, he made tweets and comments that shifted the attention away from us,” she said.

The musician further argued that the article was specifically centered on hiplife — a genre she believes Stonebwoy is not primarily associated with despite his success in Afro-dancehall and reggae music.

“What made it even more surprising was that the article was specifically about Hiplife, and Stonebwoy is not generally known as a Hiplife artiste,” she stated.

While acknowledging Stonebwoy’s achievements and influence within Ghana’s music industry, Mzbel admitted she was surprised by what she described as an unnecessary reaction to a list focused on a different genre category.

The comments have since sparked conversations among fans on social media, with many debating whether Stonebwoy’s response to the Grammy article was justified or whether Mzbel’s disappointment is understandable. The development also highlights ongoing conversations about recognition, genre identity, and respect among Ghanaian musicians as the country’s music industry continues to gain international attention.

Watch the video below:

@shadouttvStonebwoy used to be my friend, but as his brand started growing, he cut me off and unfollowed me on all social media platforms. That was painful, but what hurt me the most was what happened when the Grammy article, ‘10 Artists Essential to Ghanaian Hiplife: Reggie Rockstone, Sarkodie, Mzbel & More, was published. Instead of allowing the artists featured in the article, including myself, to enjoy and celebrate the recognition, he made tweets and comments that shifted the attention away from us. What made it even more surprising was that the article was specifically about Hiplife, and Stonebwoy is not generally known as a Hiplife artist. He has always been included and celebrated in many conversations and achievements within the industry, so I was surprised that this was the one moment he seemingly couldn’t let go and allow others to enjoy.

♬ original sound – Shadout TV

Source: Yvonne Nyarko Agyemang