Perez Musik: Why Ghana's Musicians Should Stop Fearing AI and Start Using It Wisely

Ghanaian gospel musician Perez Musik has joined a growing chorus of creative professionals defending artificial intelligence as a valuable asset in music production, urging fellow artistes to embrace the technology rather than reject it outright. Speaking on Hitz FM's Daybreak Hitz programme, Musik dismissed fears that AI threatens musical creativity, instead positioning it as a practical tool that streamlines the early stages of songwriting and arrangement.

The "Blema Tesaa" hitmaker explained that his approach to AI differs fundamentally from simply using computer-generated content as a finished product. Rather, he employs AI tools to rapidly prototype musical ideas and create rough sketches that would traditionally require studio time and producer input. This workflow shift, he argues, democratises music production by allowing artistes to experiment on their smartphones before committing resources to formal recording sessions.

How Perez Musik Uses AI in His Creative Process

According to Musik, the practical application of AI in his work centres on prompt engineering—the skill of communicating precise creative instructions to AI systems. He described the iterative process of refining prompts until the generated output approximates his vision, emphasising that AI serves as a collaborative partner rather than a replacement for human artistry. When initial results miss the mark, he simply adjusts his instructions and regenerates options until finding something worth developing further.

"I don't record the AI-generated song. I only use it to create a demo or sketch," Musik explained, highlighting a critical distinction often lost in debates about AI and creativity. This demo-stage application eliminates the need for preliminary studio sessions purely to test arrangements and instrumental placements—a traditionally expensive and time-consuming phase of production.

Musik also highlighted dancehall artiste Shatta Wale's strategic use of AI-generated choir elements on tracks from the African King album as an example of creative deployment. Rather than viewing such usage as shortcutting genuine artistry, Musik sees it as clever resource allocation—freeing artistes to focus energy on songwriting, arrangement decisions, and performance quality.

Why This Matters for Ghana's Music Industry

Perez Musik's defence of AI carries particular weight in Ghana's music ecosystem, where production costs and studio access remain significant barriers for emerging artistes. His endorsement signals that responsible AI adoption could democratise music creation, enabling more Ghanaian musicians to produce professional-quality demos and test ideas without heavy upfront investment. This is especially relevant for gospel musicians and independent artistes operating outside major label structures.

The conversation also reflects a broader global debate about creative labour and technological disruption. While concerns about AI-generated music potentially undercutting session musicians and composers deserve serious consideration, Musik's framing—emphasising AI as a pre-production tool rather than a final product—suggests a middle ground where technology enhances rather than replaces human creativity.

However, the sustainability of this balance depends on industry standards and ethical usage. Musik acknowledges that AI can be abused, particularly if artistes attempt to pass entirely AI-generated content off as human work or if the technology displaces musicians without corresponding economic opportunity shifts. His call for "responsible" AI use implies the need for clearer industry guidelines about disclosure and appropriate deployment stages.

The Broader Creative Conversation

Musik's position reflects a pragmatic acceptance common among forward-thinking creatives globally: technological tools are morally neutral; their impact depends on implementation. By distinguishing between using AI for demo creation versus using it as a finished product, he offers a framework that many Ghanaian artistes and producers might adopt without compromising artistic integrity.

For Ghana's music industry—already producing globally competitive work across gospel, hiplife, drill, and Afrobeats genres—strategic AI adoption could enhance competitiveness by reducing production timelines and costs. The question facing local artistes is not whether to engage AI, but how to do so authentically and transparently, preserving the human creativity that audiences ultimately seek.