By Brian Okoth
Sarkodie is one of Ghana's most famous modern-day musicians.
The 38-year-old has been branded by a section of his fans, and even entertainment news outlets, as the fastest rapper in Africa. This statement is, however, debatable.
The musician was born on July 10, 1985 in Ghana's southeastern town of Tema. He is the fourth born in a family of five children, and was given the birth name Michael Owusu Addo.
Sarkodie pursued basic education in Tema, and later a bachelor's degree in graphic design from IPMC University College, also in Ghana.
Started as an underground rapper
The entertainer started his music career as an underground rapper, taking part in rap competitions organised by a Ghanaian radio station.
It was during the rap competition that he was introduced to renowned music producer nicknamed Hammer of The Last Two.
Hammer helped Sarkodie record a couple of songs, which were received well by his Ghanaian fans.
In September 2009, American rapper Busta Rhymes held a concert in Ghana's capital Accra, and Sarkodie was among the local musicians who performed alongside the visiting artiste.
First African rapper to win BET award
The following year, Sarkodie's songs "Push" and "Baby" topped charts in Ghana.
His album called "Rapperholic", which was released in 2012, helped Sarkodie secure his first BET nomination, and a subsequent win in the Best International Act category.
The musician, consequently, became the first rapper in Africa to win a BET award, and also the first Ghanaian to do so.
Sarkodie would, again, win a BET award in the Best International Flow category in 2019. He is also the most nominated African rapper in BET awards.
Harvard Business School talk
The rapper has won 108 awards out of the 195 times he got nominated in different entertainment contests, including bagging 28 trophies in the Ghana Music Awards.
"You Go Kill Me", "Adonai" and "No Kissing Baby" are among Sarkodie's most popular hit songs.
In 2016, the rapper was invited by the Harvard Business School to give a talk to students on the challenges African musicians face in their careers.
Across the borders, Sarkodie has collaborated with Kenya's Victoria Kimani; Nigeria's Patoranking, Runtown and Burna Boy; Tanzania's Diamond Platnumz; South Africa's late artiste AKA, among others.
Among Africa's richest musicians
Sarkodie often raps in his native dialect Twi, which is part of the Akan group of languages spoken by the Ashanti people in southern Ghana.
Several international outlets, including Forbes and The Guardian, have ranked Sarkodie as one of the best and richest musicians in Africa.
Besides music, the rapper owns a fashion line called Sark by Yas, which he founded in 2013. Several outlets report that his net worth is somewhere around 7 million US dollars.
Sarkodie married his spouse, Tracy, in July 2018. They have two children together.
➤ Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.
