Filling Station Nights Before Dancehall Stardom

Shatta Wale, whose full name is Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr., is one of Ghana's most recognisable dancehall artists. He is known for high-energy stage shows and for speaking his mind about his music. In recent years he has also spoken openly about an unsettled childhood.

In a Facebook live session in 2024, he said the divorce of his parents when he was a child caused emotional turmoil and instability, and that he still deals with its effects. He said he had always wanted to be raised by both of them, and that the split left a broken home that affected him deeply. When he complained about the situation, he said, his parents called him disrespectful, so he left the house and ran from them.

He described sleeping on the streets of Adabraka in Accra, in front of stores and at filling stations, and the areas around Circle. The sources do not say for how long, or at what age. He also said that the women who worked at Nkrumah Circle were the ones watching over him during that time.

He told listeners that the experience taught him to avoid stress and the people who bring it. He now calls himself the chief cutter, because he cuts off anyone who brings negativity into his life. Over his career he was honoured for his contribution to reggae in Ghana at the 37th Chicago Music Awards in March 2018, and at the 2019 3Music Awards he won 11 awards, a record for a dancehall artist. He is in his late thirties and has worked in music for more than ten years.