The struggles behind reggae and dancehall's rise in Ghana must be documented - Sugar Ranking

Sugar Ranking, a veteran reggae and dancehall artiste, called for the struggles of pioneers who helped establish reggae and dancehall in Ghana to be documented and preserved as part of the country's music history. Speaking on Daybreak Hitz with Kwame Dadzie and Doreen Avio on Hitz FM, he reflected on the poor treatment reggae and dancehall artistes received during the early years of the genre, stating they were often disrespected despite their talent and contribution to Ghanaian music. He said, "When you go to a function and you're there to sing Reggae or Dancehall, sometimes the treatment you get before you even go on… it was one of the reasons why I decided to join the military, for people to realise that we who sing reggae and dancehall are not non-entities. We can be responsible people. We can be leaders. We can be politicians as well."

According to Sugar Ranking, those experiences played a significant role in his decision to join the Ghana Armed Forces, where he sought to demonstrate that reggae and dancehall artistes could be disciplined, responsible, and capable of serving in leadership positions. The Call From the Streets hitmaker noted that many pioneers of reggae and dancehall endured significant hardships while working to establish the genre in Ghana, adding that their sacrifices should not be forgotten. He began his music career in the late 1990s.