Biography of Sarkodie

Michael Owusu Addo (born 10 July 1988) known professionally as Sarkodie , is a Ghanaian rapper, songwriter, and entrepreneur from Tema. He started rapping at a young age and has since become a household name in the Ghanaian and Global music industry. His contributions to the Ghanaian music industry have earned him numerous accolades, including the Vodafone Ghana Music Award (VGMA) for “Artiste of the Decade”. He was announced the first winner of BET’s Best International Flow Artist at the 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards. He is also considered one of the major proponents of the Azonto genre and dance and one of the most successful African rappers of all time. Due to the variety of musical genres he can perform in, Sarkodie is referred to as a “multifaceted rapper” and frequently raps in his native language, Twi.

Life and career

Early life and career beginnings

Sarkodie, the fourth of five children was born on 10 July 1988. He was raised in Koforidua before his parents moved to Tema where he started schooling. He attended Tema Methodist Day Senior High School and proceeded to IPMC College of Technology, where he earned a degree in graphic design. Sarkodie began his music career as an underground rapper and gained recognition through rap competitions such participating in Adom FM’s popular rap competition Kasahare Level. He met his former manager Duncan Williams of Duncwills Entertainment while participating in the aforementioned competition. He also met musicians Edem and Castro, who introduced him to Hammer of The Last Two, an established record producer. Impressed by his rap flows, Hammer allowed Sarkodie to record two tracks for Edems maiden album Volta Regime.

2009–2012: Makye and Rapperholic

Following his collaboration with Hammer, Sarkodie recorded his debut album Makye. Its production was primarily handled by Killbeatz and Jayso. The album features guest appearances from Kwaw Kese, J-Town, Sway, and Paedae of R2Bees. Makye received positive reviews from critics and fans. It was supported by a concert held at Holy City Gardens in Accra. On 16 September 2009, Sarkodie performed alongside Busta Rhymes at the Busta Rhymes Live in Ghana concert. In 2010, his “Push” and “Baby” songs were ranked ninth and thirteenth on Joy FM’s Top 50 songs of 2009, respectively. The album’s lead single “Baby” which features Mugeez of R2bees became an instant hit and gave Sarkodie exposure.

Sarkodie’s second studio album Rapperholic was released in 2012. It features guest appearances from Efya, Chidynma, Mugeez of R2Bees, Obrafour, Jayso and EL. The album was supported by five singles: “Good Bye”, “One Time For Your Mind”, “You Go Kill Me”, “Living Legend”, and “Onyame Nhyira”. It received positive reviews from music critics. Sarkodie went on a nationwide tour to support the album. Rapperholic earned Sarkodie his first BET nomination and subsequent win. Sarkodie was also featured on the BET Hip Hop Awards cypher alongside Talib Kweli, Jean Grae and Ab-Soul. He was the only African act featured on the cypher.

On 7 July 2012, Sarkodie kicked off his tour of Canada. He toured the United States in August 2012, performing in cities and states such as New York City, Ohio, New Jersey, Maryland, Atlanta, Chicago, Texas and Massachusetts. After releasing Rapperholic, Sarkodie embarked on a tour to promote the album. On 27 August 2012, Sarkodie performed alongside R2Bees, Fally Ipupa and Iyanya at the Africa Unplugged Music Festival. In 2012, Sarkodie performed “How Low” with Ludacris at the 020 Live concerts.

2013–2014: Sarkology, Sarkcess Music, and Africa Rising Campaign

On 30 October 2013, Sarkodie released the official remix of “You Go Kill Me”. The song peaked at number 1 on various charts in Ghana. Its remix features vocals from Wizkid, Ice Prince, Navio and EL. In January 2014, Sarkodie released his third studio album Sarkology. Primarily recorded in Twi, the album features guest appearances from Fuse ODG, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Banky W., Timaya, 2 Face Idibia, Efya, Mugeez, Obrafour, Burna Boy, Vivian Chidid, Vector, Silvastone, Sk Blinks, Stonebwoy, Joey B, J Town, Lil Shaker, Raquel, Sian, Kofi B, and AKA. Its production was handled by Magnom, Hammer, Killbeatz, Masterkraft and Silvastone, among others. The album’s launch concert was held at the Accra Sports Stadium in December.

Sarkodie released the official remix of “Adonai”. It features vocals from Castro and appeared on Capital Xtra’s list of the Top 35 Afrobeats Songs. Sarkodie launched the Sarkcess Music record label in 2014. As part of the launch, he premiered the video for “Adonai” (Remix) and “Special Someone”. Sarkodie also released the songs “Megye Wo Girl”, “Love Rocks”, “Chingum”, and “Whine Fi Me” under the label.

On 3 May 2014, Sarkodie performed at the 15th edition of the Ghana Music Awards. On 7 June 2014, he joined Miguel on stage to perform the latter’s single “How Many Drinks?” at the MTV Africa Music Awards. In June 2014, Sarkodie collaborated with Mi Casa, Lola Rae, Davido, Diamond Platnumz and Tiwa Savage to record “Africa Rising”, a song for DSTV’s campaign of the same name. The campaign was designed to inspire Africans to partake in community-based social investment projects. The music video for “Africa Rising” was released on 24 June 2014. It was shot and directed by the South African production house Callback Dream.

2015–2018: Mary and Highest

On 10 June 2015, Sarkodie released the Ace Hood-assisted “New Guy”. It was released for digital consumption on 10 June 2015, through Sarkcess Music and Ivy League Records. Written by the two artists and produced by CedSolo, “New Guy” is an African hip hop and hip-hop song that contains alternating rap verses, while its lyrics deal with Sarkodie’s desire and motivation for success. Development for “New Guy” began in early 2015 when Sarkodie paid a total of $25,000 to cover the production fees associated with the recording. He also wanted Ace Hood to appear on the track because he considered him “one of the world’s most powerful rappers”.

On 12 September 2015, Sarkodie released Mary, a live album named after his grandmother who died in 2012. “Mewu” was released as the lead single from the album two months prior. An autograph session for the album was held at the West Hills Mall in Accra. Sarkodie sold nearly 4,000 copies of the album on the first day of its release. In February 2016, he spoke to a group of Harvard Business School students. Themed “The Art of the Hustle”, his speech was primarily about the challenges associated with being an African musician. Sarkodie also performed at the event following his speech.

Sarkodie held the fourth edition of his Rapperholic concert on Christmas Day. Tickets for the event sold out within 72 hours of its release. The concert featured additional performances from Fuse ODG, R2Bees, Wizkid, Samini, VVIP, Efya and Shatta Wale. On 11 March 2016, Sarkodie performed with the music band, The Composers at the O2’s Indigo venue; the event was hosted by DJ Abrantee.

Sarkodie released his fifth studio album Highest on 8 September 2017. It comprises 19 songs, including 3 interludes and a bonus track. Released through Sarkcess Music and Dice Recordings, the album features guest appearances from Jesse Jagz, Moelogo, Flavour, Korede Bello, Victoria Kimani and Big Narstie. Highest was primarily produced by Jayso, with additional production from Masterkraft, TSpize, Ced Solo, Nova and Guilty Beatz.

2019: Alpha and Black Love

Sarkodie released his debut extended play Alpha in June 2019. The 6-track EP features guest appearances from Joey B and Ebony Reigns. Sarkodie teased his collaboration with Reigns during the Ebony Reigns concert, which commemorated the late singer. He released his fifth studio album Black Love on 20 December 2019. It features guest artists such as Mr Eazi, Efya, Donae’o, Idris Elba, Stonebwoy, Tekno, Maleek Berry, Herman Suede, King Promise and Kizz Daniel. The album was supported by the previously released singles “Party & Bullshit”, “Saara”, “Do You” and “Can’t Let Go”. In an interview with OkayAfrica in November, Sarkodie said the album explores themes of black love and relationships. On 19 April 2021, Sarkodie announced his soon-to-be-released 7th Studio Album, entitled “No Pressure”. A trailer video was uploaded on YouTube, in anticipation of what fans would expect from the album. However, on 25 July 2021, Sarkodie announced a 5-day countdown of the album which would be released on 30 July 2021.

2021: No Pressure Album

Sarkodie released the album, No Pressure, on 30 July 2021. The album features Wale, Vic Mensa, Giggs, Cassper Nyovest, Harmonize, Oxlade, Kwesi Arthur, Darko Vibes, Medikal, and MOGmusic.

2022: Jamz Album

Sarkodie in the latter parts of 2022 released the album, Jamz which had features from Black Sheriff, King Promise, Inkboy and many top Nigerian acts as well. Major hits amongst them are Labadi with King Promise and Countryside with Black Sheriff winning the award for Best Collaboration at the 2023 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.

2023:Jamz World Tour

Sarkodie has announced his upcoming tour for 2023 – the JAMZ World tour- via his YouTube page in September 2023. During the Jamz World Tour, rapper Sarkodie visited several countries across Africa and Europe. The tour included nine stops across various European countries, including the UK, France, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, and Germany. Sarkodie took stages at each stop to deliver unforgettable performance, showcasing his exceptional talent and charismatic stage presence.

He however, missed his Jam World Tour show in Detroit due flight issues. He had to do an emergency landing at Delta Air Line on an Island in Portugal, and he blamed the airline for this.

Philanthropy

On 13 July 2013, Sarkodie launched The Sarkodie Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting underprivileged children. He made generous donations to the Royal Seed Home Orphanage in Kasoa. On 25 December 2014, The Foundation embarked on a “Feed the Kids’ Campaign” in Tema, Ghana, where they provided thousands of kids with bags of rice, yogurt and beverage cans. They also gave away school bags, water bottles, hats and other items. Roshi Motman, the CEO of Tigo Telecommunications, was also in attendance to support the campaign.

Business career and endorsements

Sarkodie owns the Sark by Yas clothing line, which was launched on 27 April 2013. The clothing line has accessories for men, women and children. In 2012, he was officially unveiled as the Brand Ambassador for Samsung Electronics at the University of Ghana, Legon. As part of the event, Samsung unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Pocket and Chief Hero Phones that had customized wallpapers of Sarkodie and his signature; users had the opportunity to download exclusive tracks of Sarkodie. He also launched the Obidi Chief headphones and signed an endorsement deal with FanMilk Ghana in 2013. Sarkodie is currently in partnership with Tigo Telecommunications Ghana, a brand that sponsored his 2013 Rapperholic tour. Sarkodie also has endorsement deals with Standard Chartered Bank – a leading banking firm in Africa as well as Guinness Ghana Limited for their Malt drink product. On 30 October 2019, he was appointed as an ambassador for the Year of Return campaign; the honour was conferred on him at the Creative Arts Industry Forum. In March 2021, Sarkodie and his little daughter were featured in Ghana’s leading toothpaste brand – Pepsodent Ghana’s #BrushWithMe campaign ad. The campaign was done to rally parents and guardians to start and encourage a day and night tooth-brushing routine with their children. This was done to commemorate World Oral Health Day.

Personal life

Sarkodie married Tracy in a private wedding ceremony held in Tema, Ghana on 17 July 2018. They have two children. In an interview, he disclosed he was separated from his parents during childhood leading to him being an ‘introvert and observant approach to life.’

Controversies

Yvonne Nelson

In the memoir titled “I am Not Yvonne Nelson”, Ghanaian actress, Yvonne Nelson, narrates her past relationship with Sarkodie. She described how she became pregnant unexpectedly for him and made the decision to end the pregnancy.

Samini

In January 2023, Samini accused Sarkodie of ignoring him after sending Sarkodie a song to work on it with a verse. Later, Sarkodie apologized to Samini but claimed Samini’s accusation might not be accurate.

Incidents

The renowned artist, Sarkodie recounted a distressing incident where he faced a near-death experience with Delta Airline. The ordeal involved an emergency landing on a remote island in Portugal, casting a somber shadow on his memories of Saturday, September 9th.

Studio albums

• Makye (2009)
• Rapperholic (2012)
• Sarkology (2014)
• Highest (2017)
• Black Love Album (2019)
• No Pressure (2021)
• Jamz (2022)

Live albums

• Mary (2015)
• Collaborative albums
• T.M.G (with Jayso) (2013)

EPs

• Alpha (2019)