“Yoggy Doggy be my Godfather and Terry Bonchaka be my gee for life” — Shatta Wale

Dancehall star Shatta Wale has paid tribute to two important figures from his early musical journey, veteran dancehall artiste Yoggy Doggy and the late hiplife star Terry Bonchaka.

In a recent statement, Shatta Wale described Yoggy Doggy as his “Godfather” and Terry Bonchaka as his “gee for life,” highlighting the influence and personal connections he had with the two artistes during the formative years of his career.

“Yoggy Doggy be my Godfather and Terry Bonchaka be my gee for life,” Shatta Wale said.

His reference to the two musicians has brought renewed attention to their connection with his early career and the influence of Ghana's music pioneers on the current generation.

Yoggy Doggy is regarded as one of the veteran figures in Ghana's dancehall scene. His career and contributions to the genre predate the emergence of Shatta Wale as one of Ghana's biggest dancehall exports.

Terry Bonchaka, born Terrence Nii Okang Mensah Adjetey, was a Ghanaian hiplife artiste whose career, although tragically short, made a considerable impact on Ghanaian music.

He became widely known for songs including “Pulele,” “Ghana Lady,” “Ewurade,” “I Am Aware” and “Asem Ben Ni.” His music career lasted only about two years, but he became one of the prominent young artistes of his generation. ModernGhana described him as a major force during that brief period, noting that he featured prominently on numerous hit songs.

Terry was also recognised for his role in mentoring younger musicians. Citi Newsroom has reported that he mentored artistes including King Ayisoba, Sherifa Gunu and Shatta Wale.

Shatta Wale has previously spoken about the influence Terry Bonchaka had on him, saying that he drew considerable inspiration from the late musician at the beginning of his own career.

Terry's promising career, however, was cut short on October 29, 2003, when he died in a car accident at the age of 21 while returning from a performance at the University of Ghana.

His biggest songs, particularly “Pulele,” have continued to receive recognition as part of the history of Ghanaian hiplife. His catalogue remains available on major music platforms, including Apple Music.

While Yoggy Doggy represents an earlier generation of Ghanaian dancehall, Terry Bonchaka was part of the hiplife movement that was dominating the country's music scene in the early 2000s.