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#SarkEffect: 5 reasons why Sarkodie is ‘Africa’s Best Rapper’

Published

5 years ago

October 11, 2019

Earlier this week I wrote a story and gave Ghanaian rapper, Sarkodie the title ‘Ghana’s Best Rapper’ but some of his fans argued that he is ‘Africa’s Best Rapper’ so I set out to find reasons to back their claim. Here are five reasons why Sarkodie is undoubtedly the best rapper on the continent at the moment.

The reigning tastemaker of the new school of Afrobeats in Ghana, Sarkodie not only has killer talent, but he’s been in the game since 2009 and rapped his way to the top. He spits quick, switching back and forth between English and his native language, with the same fire and wit that first caught him attention in rap battles at the beginning of his career. In the last 10 years, the Tema-based rapper has stayed consistent and chocked many success.

1. Africa’s most awarded artist/rapper

Sarkodie has won 83 awards from 150 nominations, making him ‘Africa’s Most Awarded Rapper’ and number one of the three most awarded musicians on the whole continet.

With 22 Ghana Music Awards, 7 Ghana Music Awards UK, 16 4syte Music Video Awards, 3 Headies Awards, 2 Nigerian Entertainment Awards and 2 SoundCity Music Video Awards among others, Sarkodie is definetly on top of Africa’s rap game.

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Grillz by @officialtooth.fairy
A post shared by TheHighest➕ (@sarkodie) on Oct 13, 2018 at 12:42am PDT

2. First African Rapper to win two BET Awards.

Sarkodie was the first Ghanaian to receive a BET Award with his Best International Act: Africa Award in 2012. Sarkodie’s rap game has been on top so much that when BET created a new category for their BET Hip-hop Awards show, ‘Best International Flow’, he was the first African to win the award.

He is also the first African rapper to feature in two BET Cyphers (2012, 2019).

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A post shared by TheHighest➕ (@sarkodie) on Oct 9, 2019 at 1:21am PDT

3. Most watched YouTube video by an African Rapper.

Sarkodie’s 2014 hit song ‘ADONAI’ which features Castro has 67,623,012 views on YouTube, making it the most viewed music video by an African rapper.

4. First African Rapper to perform at the Grammy Museum.

In 2015, he became not only the first Ghanaian rapper but the first one from Africa to perform at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, United States when he rendered a freestyle before the 2015 BET Awards.

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Very #Lucky #Blacklove 📷: @visualsbyajp #SCMobile
A post shared by TheHighest➕ (@sarkodie) on Jul 26, 2019 at 4:15am PDT

5. Highest charge by an African Rapper For A Show

It is reported that Sarkodie charged $65,500 to perform at the 2018 Glo Mega Festival Show in Ghana. Only the best can be bought at such a high price.

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🖤🖤📷: @davidtownhill
A post shared by TheHighest➕ (@sarkodie) on Aug 6, 2019 at 4:13am PDT

Having released Makye (2009), Rapperholic (2011), Sarkology (2013), Mary (2015), Highest (2017) and currently dropping singles from his yet to be released ‘Black Love’ album, Sarkodie is just getting started.

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Road To “Black Love” … New single out friday
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A post shared by TheHighest➕ (@sarkodie) on Jul 23, 2019 at 10:33am PDT

All in all, the man born in Tema on July 10, 1988 as Michael Owusu Addo stands tall among rappers in Ghana and Africa.

You may have your preference based on style of delivery or even likeness for another rapper but if it’s about impact and success with their talents, no one compares to King Sark, as his Sark Nation natives call him.