Michael Owusu Addo (born 10 July 1988) known professionally as Sarkodie (), is a Ghanaian rapper,

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

, 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 The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...

, 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 Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

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 Twi () is a dialect of the Akan language spoken in southern and central Ghana by several million people, mainly of the Akan people, the largest of the seventeen major ethnic groups in Ghana. Twi has about 17-18 million speakers in total, includ ...

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 Koforidua, also popularly known as K-dua or Kofcity, is a city and the capital of Eastern Region in southern Ghana. Koforidua was founded in 1875 by migrants from Ashanti. It is also called New Juaben. The city has a settlement city proper popu ...

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 Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art whose activity consists in projecting visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdiscipli ...

. Sarkodie began his music career as an underground rapper and gained recognition through rap competitions such participating in

Adom FM Adom FM is a privately owned radio station in Accra, the capital of Ghana. The station is owned and run by the media group company Multimedia Group Limited. The word ''Adom'' in the Twi dialect means ''grace''. Adom FM organizes the annual gospe ...

'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 Castro is a Romance language word that originally derived from Latin ''castrum'', a pre-Roman military camp or fortification (cf: Greek: ''kastron''; Proto-Celtic:''*Kassrik;'' br, kaer, *kastro). The English-language equivalent is '' chester''. ...

, 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 Volta may refer to: Persons * Alessandro Volta (1745–1827), Italian physicist and inventor of the electric battery, count and eponym of the volt * Giovanni Volta (1928–2012), Italian Roman Catholic bishop * Giovanni Serafino Volta (1764–184 ...

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 Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...

at the Busta Rhymes Live in

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

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 Rashid Abdul Mugeez, professionally known as Mugeez, is a Ghanaian singer and songwriter. Born in Bimbila ( Northern region, Ghana) he became known through the influential Afrobeats/Hiplife duo R2Bees (Refuse to Be Broke), which he formed with ...

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,

of R2Bees, Obrafour,

Jayso Paul "Jayso" Nuamah Donkor (born June 1, 1983) is a Ghanaian rapper, record producer, singer, songwriter and entrepreneur. After 10 years in the music industry as a rapper and producer, Jayso gained more attention following his work on Sarkodie' ...

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 Herbert Anthony Stevens IV (born February 23, 1987), better known by his stage name Ab-Soul, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Raised in Carson, California, he signed to indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2007, where ...

. He was the only African act featured on the cypher. On 7 July 2012, Sarkodie kicked off his tour of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. He toured the United States in August 2012, performing in cities and states such as

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

and

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. After releasing ''Rapperholic'', Sarkodie embarked on a tour to promote the album. On 27 August 2012, Sarkodie performed alongside R2Bees,

Fally Ipupa Fally Ipupa N'simba (born December 14, 1977), known by his stage name Fally Ipupa, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, dancer, philanthropist, guitarist and producer. From 1999 until 2006, he was a member of Quartier Latin International, the music ...

and Iyanya at the Africa Unplugged Music Festival. In 2012, Sarkodie performed "

How Low "How Low" is a hip hop song by American rapper Ludacris. It is the lead single from his seventh studio album, '' Battle of the Sexes''. The song premiered at the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, which took place on October 10, 2009. However, the cere ...

" 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

. Its remix features vocals from

Wizkid Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), known professionally as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. A prominent figure in the modern-day Afrobeats music scene, Wizkid is regarded as one of the biggest and most influential Afri ...

, Ice Prince, Navio and EL. In January 2014, Sarkodie released his third studio album ''

Sarkology ''Sarkology'' is the third studio album by Ghanaian hip-hop recording artist Sarkodie. It was released by Duncwills Entertainment on January 2, 2014. Primarily recorded in Twi, the album features guest appearances from Fuse ODG, Davido, Tiwa Sav ...

''. Primarily recorded in

, the album features guest appearances from Fuse ODG,

Davido David Adedeji Adeleke (born November 21, 1992), popularly known by his stage name Davido, is an American-Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. His music blends traditional African elements with global mainstream pop. Davido is widel ...

Tiwa Savage Tiwa Savage (born 5 February 1980) is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and performing artist. Born in Isale Eko, she relocated to London at the age of 11 for her secondary education. Five years later, she began her music career doing backup voc ...

Banky W. Olubankole Wellington (born 27 March 1981), popularly known by his stage name Banky W and credited in film as Banky Wellington, is a Nigerian singer, rapper, actor, entrepreneur and politician. Early life Olubankole Wellington was born in the ...

Timaya Inetimi Timaya Odon (born 15 August 1980), better known by his stage name Timaya, is a multiple award-winning Nigerian singer and songwriter. He hails from Odi, Bayelsa state, South-South Nigeria. He is fondly called the Egberi Papa 1 of Bayels ...

2 Face Idibia Innocent Ujah Idibia MON (born 18 September 1975), known by his stage name 2Baba, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Noted for his vocal range, lyrical depth, and longevity, he is widely regarde ...

, Efya,

, Obrafour, Burna Boy, Vivian Chidid, Vector, Silvastone, Sk Blinks, Stonebwoy, Joey B, J Town, Lil Shaker, Raquel, Sian, Kofi B, and

AKA Aka, AKA or a.k.a. may refer to: * "Also known as", used to introduce an alternative name Languages * Aka language (Sudan) * Aka language, in the Central African Republic * Hruso language, in India, also referred to as Aka * a prefix in the n ...

. Its production was handled by

Magnom Joseph Bulley, known professionally as Magnom, is a Ghanaian record producer and recording artist , who produces music ranging from Hiphop, dancehall, and Afrobeats. He gained the attention of Ghanaians after he produced the song "illuminati" ...

Hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as w ...

Killbeatz Joseph Kwame Addison, popularly known as KillBeatz, is a Ghanaian music producer and sound engineer. He is a member of music group R2bees and is also the CEO of Legacy Life Entertainment, which has signed the Ghanaian musician King Promise. Li ...

, Masterkraft and Silvastone, among others. The album's launch concert was held at the

Accra Sports Stadium The Accra Sports Stadium, formerly named the Ohene Djan Stadium, is a multi-use stadium (40,000-capacity, all-seater) located in Accra. Ghana, mostly used for association football matches. It is also used for rugby union. Overview The stadium was ...

in December. Sarkodie released the official remix of "Adonai". It features vocals from

and appeared on

Capital Xtra Capital XTRA (formerly Choice FM) is a Global Media & Entertainment, Global-owned radio station that broadcasts on 96.9 FM broadcasting, FM and 107.1 FM in Greater London. Nationally, it is heard on Digital Audio Broadcasting, DAB Digital Ra ...

'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 Mi Casa is a house trio based in Johannesburg, South Africa and consisting of three members, Dr. Duda (producer and pianist), J'Something (vocalist and guitarist), and Mo-T (trumpeter). The band was formed in early 2011 in Johannesburg when a ...

Lola Rae Rachel Akosua Funmilola Garton (professionally known as Lola Rae; born 20 January 1991) is a Nigerian singer. She gained recognition following the release of her debut single "Watch My Ting Go", which received critical acclaim and thus earned h ...

Diamond Platnumz Nasibu Abdul Juma Issack (born 2 October 1989), popularly known by his stage name Diamond Platnumz, is a Tanzanian bongo flava recording artist, dancer, philanthropist and a businessman of Ha heritage. He is the founder and CEO of WCB Wasafi R ...

and

to record "Africa Rising", a song for

DSTV Digital Satellite Television, commonly abbreviated to DStv, is a Sub-Saharan African direct broadcast satellite service owned by MultiChoice and based in Randburg, South Africa. Launched on 6 October 1995, the service provides multiple audio, ...

'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 Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...

. 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 Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...

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,

, Samini,

VVIP A very important person or personage (VIP or V.I.P.) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War 2 by RAF pilots. Examples incl ...

, Efya and

Shatta Wale Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr., (born 17 October 1984) is a Ghanaian reggae-dancehall artist. He is known by his stage name Shatta Wale, formerly Bandana. His best-known singles are "Dancehall King", "My level" and "We taking over" .He is also know ...

. 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 Jesse Garba Abaga (born 10 August 1984), known professionally as Jesse Jagz, is a Nigerian rapper, record producer and songwriter. He signed a record deal with Chocolate City in 2010 and released his debut studio album ''Jag of All Tradez'' that ...

, Moelogo, Flavour,

Korede Bello Oluwakorede Bello (born 29 February 1996) is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He signed a record deal with Mavin Records in 2014. Bello is best known for his hit single " Godwin", a semi-gospel and pop song which became a national anthem and t ...

Victoria Kimani Victoria Kimani (born 28 July 1985) is a Kenyan singer, songwriter, and entertainer previously signed to Nigerian record label Chocolate City. Her debut album was released in 2016. She has appeared in the film ''7 Inch Curve.'' Life and caree ...

and

Big Narstie Tyrone Mark Lindo (born 16 November 1985), known by his stage name Big Narstie, is a British MC, author, rapper, singer, songwriter, comedian and television presenter. He started his career in 2002 as a member of grime crew "N Double A," though ...

. ''Highest'' was primarily produced by

, 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 Oluwatosin Ajibade (born 19 July 1991), better known by his stage name Mr Eazi, is a Nigerian-born, Ghana-based singer. He is a pioneer of Banku music, a fusion of sound he describes as a mixture of Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian chord progressio ...

, Efya, Donae'o, Idris Elba, Stonebwoy, Tekno,

Maleek Berry Maleek Shoyebi (born 11 August 1987), professionally known as Maleek Berry, is a British-Nigerian record producer and recording artist. After his break into the spotlight in 2012, Maleek Berry was nominated as "Music Producer of the Year" at the ...

, 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 OkayAfrica (stylized as okayafrica) is a digital media platform dedicated to African culture, music and politics. Founded in 2011 by Vanessa Wruble and Ginny Suss as a sister site to The Roots frontman Questlove's Okayplayer, the site has become ...

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 Wale or WALE may refer to: Places *Wale, Devon, a hamlet in England *Wale, Tomaszów Mazowiecki County, a village in Poland People *Wale (surname) *Wale (rapper), stage name of American rapper Olubowale Victor Akintimehin Radio and television ...

Vic Mensa Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense) ...

, Giggs, Cassper Nyovest,

Harmonize In music, harmonization is the chordal accompaniment to a line or melody: "Using chords and melodies together, making harmony by stacking scale tones as triads". A harmonized scale can be created by using each note of a musical scale as a ...

, Oxlade,

Kwesi Arthur Emmanuel Kwesi Danso Arthur Junior (born 18 December 1994), known professionally as Kwesi Arthur, is a Ghanaian rapper, singer and songwriter from Tema, Ghana. He rose to fame in 2017 with the hit single "Grind day" which received wide spread ac ...

, Darko Vibes, Medikal, and MOGmusic.

2022: ''Jamz Album''

Sarkodie in the latter parts of 2022 released the album, ''Jamz'' which had features from

Black Sherif Mohammed Ismail Sherif Kwaku Frimpong (born 9 January 2002) professionally known as Black Sherif, is a Ghanaian singer and rapper. He gained popularity in 2021 with his song "First Sermon" in May 2021. This was followed up with "Second Sermon" ...

King Promise King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ti ...

, 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.

Recognition

Sarkodie often raps in his native language,

, a Ghanaian Language and is considered a "multifaceted rapper" due to the various musical styles he possesses. Sarkodie is often named as one of Africa's greatest hip hop artists. MTV Base ranked him sixth on its list of the Hottest African MCs in 2014. In 2013, Lynx TV ranked him first on its list of the "Top 10 Ghanaian Rappers of All Time". In 2015, AfricaRanking.com ranked him third on its list of the "Top 10 African Rappers of 2015". In 2015, ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' listed him as one of its top five hip hop acts on the African continent. He was ranked 8th on

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

and Channel O's 2013 and 2015 list of the Top 10 Richest/Bankable African Artistes. In 2020, he won "Artiste of the Year" during the Ghana Music Awards USA (GMA USA).

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 Kasoa, formerly known as Odupongkpehe, is a peri-urban town in the Awutu Senya East Municipal District of the Central region of Ghana. Location Kasoa has territory in 1 of the 20 Metropolitan, Municipalities and Districts (MMADs) in the Central ...

. 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 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (, sometimes shortened to SEC and stylized as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean multinational corporation, multinational electronics corporation headquartered in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea. It is the pinnacle of ...

at the

University of Ghana The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian national public universities. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the Br ...

, Legon. As part of the event, Samsung unveiled the

Samsung Galaxy Pocket The Samsung Galaxy Pocket (GT-S5300) is an Android smartphone manufactured by Samsung that was announced in March 2012. The handset is budget-oriented, sporting a relatively small 2.8-inch LCD. Its specifications are similar to that of the Samsu ...

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, the 9th of September, 2023.

Awards and nominations

Discography

Studio albums

*''Makye'' (2009) *''Rapperholic'' (2012) *''

'' (2014) *'' Highest'' (2017) *'' Black Love Album'' (2019) *'' No Pressure'' (2021) *''Jamz'' (2022)

Live albums

*'' Mary'' (2015)

Collaborative albums

*''T.M.G'' (with

) (2013)

EPs

*''Alpha'' (2019)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sarkodie Living people Ghanaian rappers People from Tema The Headies winners 1988 births Ghanaian hip hop musicians Afrobeats musicians 21st-century Ghanaian musicians 21st-century male singers Musicians from Accra