Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale has disclosed that long before rising to fame in the music industry, he had a strong interest in technology and computing.

He revealed that his fascination with tech dates back to his childhood.

The musician made the revelation during an interview on the Ekosiisen programme on Asempa FM on Wednesday, March 11, where he spoke about his early experiences with computers and how they shaped some of the entrepreneurial ventures he pursues today.

According to Shatta Wale, his technological curiosity started at a very young age, long before he became known as one of Ghana’s most prominent dancehall performers.

“One thing that I have not put out publicly is my tech background,” he said. “I feel it started when I was a child.”

The artiste recalled that when he was about nine years old, he wrote an entire concept book describing a security gadget he had imagined.

He said the document was shown to his father and has been preserved by him ever since.

“I remember when I was about nine years old, I wrote a whole book for a security gadget and I showed it to my dad, and that book is still with him for safety,” he explained.

Shatta Wale also spoke about how his father’s professional environment exposed him to administrative and technical tasks at a young age.

His father, he noted, was involved in political work during the era of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings and former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.

During that period, he said he frequently helped with basic computer-related tasks despite still being a teenager.

“Growing up, I started fixing my dad’s PCs and doing letterheads,” he said.

The musician explained that by the age of about 14 or 15, he was already designing complementary cards and other materials for professional use.

At a time when computers were still relatively new in Ghana, Shatta Wale said he was fortunate to have early access to one, even though his father did not know how to operate it.

“I had a computer at that time — that was when computers had just started coming up,” he said. “My dad himself didn’t even know how to use it.”

To execute some of his design ideas, he explained that he often visited a printing press in Adabraka, where technicians would help transform his digital templates into printed materials.

“I had this printing press in Adabraka that I always went to, and they would do the templates for me,” he said.

The dancehall artiste noted that these early experiences gradually nurtured his interest in technology and innovation.

Although his career eventually shifted towards music, he believes the foundation he built during those formative years still influences many of the projects he undertakes today.

“It has been in me for a long time,” he explained. “Growing up, until I discovered music, it gave me more interest.”