I earned Shs20k from writing Rema, Roja and Slick Stuart hit duet – Shena Skies

Songwriter Shena Skies has revealed that she was paid just Shs20,000 for writing the lyrics to More of This, the hit collaboration by Rema Namakula, Slick Stuart and Roja.

“I was given fuel of Shs20,000,” she said in an interview.

The artiste, whose real name is Shena Namagembe, said songwriting is hard because she rarely sells songs. She said she is lucky if she sells one song a month, which makes it hard to survive on songwriting alone.

She added that when some of the songs she writes become hits, artistes often refuse to share royalties.

In the same interview, Shena said it took her time to see a pattern in the industry. She claimed many artistes feel uneasy when songwriters become financially stable.

She said struggling writers accept low pay because they need money to survive, which makes them easy to control.

“I didn’t see it back then. But with time, I realised it has become a habit for artistes to resist songwriters’ financial success. When you need money for survival, you will take whatever is offered. But once God opens doors and you start earning well, you won’t run after that Shs1 million fee anymore because you already have,” she said.

Shena added that some artistes fear successful songwriters because financial freedom means higher rates and limited access.

“Many artistes don’t want you to be successful because you become expensive and harder to access. They won’t be able to get you to do whatever they want,” she said.

She is currently working on an album titled Prescription, inspired by her belief that music is a form of therapy meant to heal and speak to many souls.

Meanwhile, Rema Namakula has praised Shena Skies for playing a big role in her musical journey. Rema credited her for writing the lyrics to her hit collaboration Loco with Nigerian star Chike and DJ Harold. The song has gained millions of views on YouTube since its release.

“Shena Skies is superb. She has written most of the big songs in the industry. People just don’t talk about it. She is very quick, very urban, and she is amazing,” Rema said.

Shena Skies has built a strong reputation behind the scenes, writing hit songs for many artistes. Rema also said she believes Shena’s time to shine even brighter is near and that wider appreciation is coming.