Ghanaian rapper Michael Owusu Addo, better known as Sarkodie, has shared his perspective on competition in the hip-hop genre.
In his latest track titled ‘Brag’, the BET awards winner boldly states that he doesn’t view any African rapper or musician as his competition.
Instead, he identifies American rappers like Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole as his true rivals.
Sarkodie emphasizes that he began his journey in rap long before African artists such as Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Black Sherif, and Asake rose to fame.
“I gotta brag, I’ve been too quiet,” he asserts, signaling his readiness to highlight his extensive list of accomplishments in the music industry.
“Wizkid came, I was already in the game. Davido started, I was already elevating it. Then came Odogwu, Black Sherif, Asake, and I’m still going… you thought I was losing it? My biggest competition is Kendrick and Cole,” he raps in the song.
“I swear to God, in Ghana nobody dared. It was me, myself, and I, who paved the way,” he adds.
In ‘Brag’, Sarkodie also reflects on his aspirations to sell out the O2 Arena and the challenges he faced, including betrayal from those he trusted for guidance.
“Growing up as a poor boy with nothing to eat, but dreaming of selling out the O2. I never abandoned my dream, though I came close. Even those who promised to guide you started to abandon me, but I persevered. Then, everyone went silent,” he shares.
True to the song’s title, Sarkodie boasts about his O2 Arena sold-out performance in 2016, preceding Nigerian musicians Wizkid and Davido, and asserts that he laid the groundwork for them.
Furthermore, Sarkodie hinted on Wednesday, May 8, that he plans to release his upcoming project ‘The Championship’ by May 24 or sooner.
This will mark his first major music release since his eighth studio album ‘Jamz’ in 2022, which featured singles such as ‘Otan’, ‘Don’t Try Me’, and ‘Been a Fool for You’.
