Wizkid, Burnaboy, and Davido have been at the forefront of world music for the best part of the past 5 years. You can extend that to a decade depending on how you look at it.
They can fill major event arenas in Europe and America singlehandedly, especially for Burnaboy, who is at the peak of his powers. It would be done effortlessly.
These names are usually used to talk down Ghanaian artists, especially SARKODIE, Shatta Wale, and Stonebwoy. This is because the trio have dominated Ghanaian music for such a long time that it is not far-fetched to set global standards for them.
Such arguments are usually uninformed because they overlook important industry and cultural dynamics that play a role in the supposed global appeal for Nigerian music and the contrasting outcome for Ghanaian music. I’m going to elaborate on that sometime later. Let’s talk about Sarkodie.
Sarkodie is not inferior to Africa’s finest.
Sarkodie has been Africa’s finest rapper for the best part of the past 15 years. You can have your preferred lyricist, you can have your preferred style, you can even have your preferred language. However, when you put together all the variables—lyric, style, consistency, longevity, and overall career success – you won’t have many standing on the same pedestal as Sarkodie.
He is the most awarded rapper in the history of Africa for a reason. No one has done it consistently and done it this well for 15 years.
You see, rap is a different ball game; it is appreciated by the minority in terms of music lovers. The effort and talent required for Sarkodie to make it this far means that we have to appreciate the limitations of rap music in Africa and the world at large.
No rapper from Africa can do what Burna and co are doing. Rap music cannot propel any artists from our continent to that level. It is not what the world wants to buy from Africa.
When you look at it this way and contextualize the conversation properly, you can’t tell me that the greatest African rapper hasn’t achieved enough to be in the same conversation with afrobeat musicians.
Afrobeat is what the world wants to see from Africa, not rap. Nigeria has the structures to own that; Ghana doesn’t.
Why are Nigerians not comparing their greatest rappers to Sarkodie? It’s because they know that there is no competition.
The likes of MI and Ice Prince should be at the same level as the Davidos if they could do Afrobeat at the same level they did rap music. They are simply stifled by the general limitations of rap music that keep virtually every rapper within the shadows of singers.
MI and Ice Prince would never engage in any conversation that talks down Sarkodie’s success in comparison with the afrobeat kings because they know the hustle and the odds Sark defied to be at this for 15 solid years.
I believe Brag didn’t go after rappers directly for a reason, being that Sarkodie saw himself in the conversation of the Wizkids than specific rappers.
Aside from seeking to bring some energy into rap music in Africa, I see Brag as a reminder from Sark for Africa to take another look at his legacy because it can easily be forgotten when looked through the lens and glamour of Afrobeat.
Man has been the reference point for Rap music in Africa for at least 10 of the last 15 years.
When upcoming Nigerian rapper Dremoo decided to ride on the Brag hype to give his career a certain raise, his trending line has been: “Shut Up Babatudu, It’s Not About How Far, It’s About How Well! So We Don’t Really Care If you Came Before Davido And Wizkid, Every Name you Mentioned is Doing Better than You.
For a former signee of Davido who couldn’t manage a single notable hit despite his enormous talent, Dremoo should know by now that it’s thrice as hard for a rapper to do well as it is for an afrotbeat singer to break through.
Some are slow learners, maybe, in a decade more, he will come to the realization that it was naivety on his part to have questioned the success of Sark by directly comparing his success to these people.
Old age will bring him to the realization that Sarkodie has done it not only for long, he did it as well as any rapper could.
Just look at how three Afrobeat/highlife songs have given Amerado a quick career turnaround. Look at King Paluta too.
Sarkodie’s success even more remarkable when you consider the fact that he did it predominantly in the Twi language, a language even some Ghanaians downplay.
Beating English rappers and Afrobeat singers to some of the prestigious awards with the Twi language is a feat rarely given its deserving props.
Sarkodie ticks both the longevity and success boxes and stands on par with Afrobeats’ finest.
Cc: Kofi Kyei
