Ronald Banful has worked as GuiltyBeatz for more than a decade. The producer and DJ broke through with "Akwaaba" and went on to credits on Beyoncé's The Lion King: The Gift and Renaissance, and his production sits between African rhythms, European electronic music, and house.

We met him at his studio in East Legon to talk about how his production has changed, what Western audiences still misunderstand about African music, and why polyrhythmic precision matters most to him.

The anatomy of the groove

Grugbox: Producers around the world try to reverse-engineer the bounce in your drums. What is the secret to the GuiltyBeatz pocket?

GuiltyBeatz: It comes down to human swing. So many producers quantize everything to a rigid grid in FL Studio or Ableton, and immediately the soul evaporates. Traditional Ghanaian percussion, whether it's the gome drum, fontomfrom, or axatse, never sits dead on the beat. There's a micro-delay, a natural drag or push that mirrors human walking or dancing. I program my percussion with my hands first, keeping those slight human imperfections. That swing is where the groove lives.

Grugbox: You work with artists across genres, from Mr Eazi and Tems to Beyoncé. How do you keep your sonic identity while serving the artist's voice?

GuiltyBeatz: You have to be a great listener before you touch a single knob. When I worked on tracks like "FIND YOUR WAY BACK" and "MOVE", the assignment wasn't to force an African trope onto an American pop track. It was about mutual respect and cultural exchange. You bring your heritage with confidence. When you know the history of Ghanaian Highlife, South African Gqom, and Nigerian Afrobeat, you understand how all these diaspora rhythms converse with Chicago house and Detroit techno.

Cultivating the next generation

Grugbox: African producers have long struggled to get proper publishing splits and backend royalties. Has that improved?

GuiltyBeatz: Things are getting better, but the fight is far from over. Ten years ago, producers in our part of the world were treated like beat-venders. You got a nominal upfront fee and zero master points. Today, young African producers are waking up to metadata, split sheets, and publishing administration. We are teaching the younger generation that a producer is a co-author of the record. Without the beat, there is no song to sing over.

Grugbox: What excites you most about the future of West African electronic music?

GuiltyBeatz: We are finally abandoning the pressure to cater to Western validation. Our artists are making 130 BPM club records, ambient soundscapes, drill fusions, and experimental electronics purely for ourselves. When you create without seeking outside permission, that's when authentic magic happens.