Sarkodie: Akon Reveals Why He Dropped Rapper From Konvict Music: He Wasn't Ready Mentally
- Akon has revealed that Sarkodie was not ready to go global when he signed the Ghanaian to his Konvict Music many years ago
- According to Akon, he had plans to make Sarkodie a worldwide superstar but the rapper rather wanted to focus on Ghana
- Speaking in an interview on Kalyjay's Twitter Spaces, Akon described Sarkodie as the artiste that got away
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Senegalese-American music superstar Akon has opened on why his signing of rapper Sarkodie to his Konvict Music label did not work.
Akon, born Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam, was reported in 2009 to have signed Sarkodie, then a fast-rising rapper, to Konvict.
The news of Sarkodie's signing was warmly received by Ghanaians as it had been expected to turn the rapper into a global star. But it never happened so.
Source: Instagram
Many years after, Akon has revealed the possible reasons why his deal with Sarkodie did turn out to be what he had anticipated.
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Akon explains why signing Sarkodie didn't work
Speaking in an interview with a brand influencer, Kalyjay, on Twitter Spaces on Thursday, February 24, 2022, Akon revealed that his plans to make Sarkodie a global star did not materialise because the rapper was not ready.
He explained that Sarkodie seemed to be interested in focusing more on Ghana.
“Sarkodie was the first artist that we signed out of Ghana. We had plans to make him so much bigger but I think at the time his agenda was more focusing on Ghana."
Sarkodie wasn't mentally ready
For Lonely hitmaker, Sarkodie was not mentally ready to take his music to another level so he had to let the Ghanaian operate as he wanted.
“We realised that we really couldn’t work with him yet because he just wasn’t mentally ready to go on that level. We just allowed him to continue moving the way he was moving.
“I don’t know if it was him specifically or the team that he had around him at that time, but it was just very difficult to get certain things done with the communication that we were getting with his team at that time. I always say he is the artiste that got away,”
Akon quickly added that Sarkodie's decision to focus on Ghana was not bad though as it had worked well for the rapper.
"...I think that it was a plan that worked. I mean, it’s arguably or arguably not – but I know for sure if had he followed our plan, he would have been a global artist without a doubt.”
We can't blame Sarkodie too much
Reacting to Akon's revelations and criticism from Ghanaians that has followed, entertainment writer Gabriel Myers Hansen has pleaded for the bashing to stop.
According to Myers who is a writer for Music In Africa, there is the need to hear Sarkodie's side before anyone concludes that he made a mistake.
In a quick chat with YEN.com.gh, Myers added that Akon's move to sign Sarkodie came just about one year after the rapper had blown and become a mainstream artiste.
"It is understandable that he was a bit sceptical about going on the global. He had not even really conquered Ghana yet and must have thought he needed time to fully establish himself here.
"I think the response would have been different if the same opportunity had presented itself a few years or even now.
"And in any case, it is not as if Sarkodie's career did not blosom. Without such support, he has still built a solid brand. We must commned him," he said.
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