By BigEyeUg Team
Ykee Benda has shared his thoughts on why many Ugandan artists struggle to break onto the international scene, saying the biggest challenge often comes from fellow Ugandans themselves — including both fans and people within the industry.
Speaking openly, Ykee Benda explained that many Ugandans are comfortable seeing someone succeed, but only to a certain extent.
“Ugandans are okay with you doing well for yourself and living comfortably as long as you’re not on a further level than them,” he said.
According to him, there is often resistance whenever an artist begins aiming for bigger achievements beyond the local scene.
He compared the situation to countries like Nigeria, where artists receive overwhelming public support from their people.
Using Nigerian superstar Wizkid as an example, Ykee Benda noted that Nigerians openly celebrate and support their stars wherever they go, something he feels is still lacking in Uganda.
“In Uganda, even people who genuinely admire you as an artist sometimes hesitate to publicly show support because of pride or jealousy.,” he explained.
The “Farmer” hitmaker also turned his attention to artist management, saying poor management decisions are another reason some musicians fail to grow internationally.
Ykee Benda pointed out that while some artists are lucky to have professional managers, others mix personal relationships with business, which eventually hurts their careers.
“Some artists have very good managers but others mix love with business,” he said.
He further stressed that musicians should prioritize building their careers and finding ways to earn from their talent instead of allowing emotions and romantic relationships to interfere with business decisions.
According to him, once feelings begin taking center stage in management, it often becomes difficult for artists to make objective career choices, something that later affects their long-term growth and success.