Music producer Richie Mensah has said that Nigerian artistes, Davido and Wizkid, are bigger than Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie – and he has given reason.
According to atmogh.com the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lynx Entertainment made this statement at the launch of Eastern Music Awards in Koforidua, last week.
[contextly_sidebar id=”zAFNqxkGv5IFOcvcBqg2cciCrpnC27dI”]Richie who was a guest speaker at the launch and seminar of the awards intimated that even though Sarkodie is huge on the African continent, Davido and Wizkid are ahead of him because they sing – and Sarkodie raps.
“Apart from Osibisa, Sarkodie has broken barriers internationally. There is no country in Africa where people don’t know Sarkodie. If you say mention 10 African artistes and Sarkodie’s name is always part but the reason Sarkodie is not on the same level as Wizkid or Davido is because he is a rapper,” he said.
He cited Nigerian rappers Phyno and Olamide as artistes who have not been able to blow up on the international front (particularly in Ghana) because they rap in languages that are not understood by non-natives.
“Singing is able to go further than rap based on language limitations. When someone sings in Twi, somebody in Kenya can sing melody even if they don’t understand the language. But when somebody is rapping in Twi and goes to Kenya, they can not rap along because of the words,” he further explained.
Richie Mensah who has in the past managed rappers like Asem, Ziggy, OJ Blaq said the reason the new generation of singers is that, the singing is pushing them farther.
“The reason I like singers nowadays is, when KiDi sings, Odo, the Nigerians are singing it. They don’t know what it means. They don’t care. They can sing the melody” he further stated.
Sarkodie last year, released the ‘Highest’ album which contains more hiphop and Afropop songs. Unlike previously when he had laced his rap with highlife rhythms and catchy melodies for choruses, the ‘fastest’ rapper stated that he made that album to satisfy his hiphop fans.
Currently, he organised a rap challenge dubbed #BiibibaChallenge and has scouted 10 rappers for an upcoming cypher.
Sarkodie has on his SarkCess Music record label signed rapper Strongman and singer Akwaboah.
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By: Kwame Dadzie/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
