Sarkodie, Gyakie, Black Sherif and 4 Ghanaian Artists Doing Well After Signing With Foreign Record Labels

• There is a perception that African artists lose their musical identity and do not succeed after signing deals with international record labels
• This perception, coupled with the negative experiences of some artists in the hands of these record labels, has deterred many Ghanaian acts from working with global institutions
• However, this is just a myth for Ghanaian stars like Gyakie, Black Sherif and KiDi, who have clocked success after their global deals

A common dream among budding artists is being signed to international record labels and promoting their music on a global stage. However, some of these record labels have been branded as money-hungry institutions that do not care about the growth and sound of their artists.

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Ghanaian singer Cina Soul is among the stars disappointed by an international record label. After announcing her signing to Universal Music in 2018, the singer parted ways with the label in 2020. According to her, the institution restricted her craft.

Despite her experience, some Ghanaian stars trust to believe their instincts and sign deals with international record labels. These artists have experienced success after their record deals and made history on the global stage. YEN.com.gh presents artists who have made it big after their record deals.

1. Camidoh

Camidoh is signed to Crux Global, a subsidiary of Moves Recordings, home of international stars like Naira Marley and Eugy. After his signing, the Aflao native dropped Sugarcane in December 2021, a single which became a global hit. The single's success also led Camidoh to release remixes with European and Latino stars.

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2. Stonebwoy

Earlier this year, Stonebwoy inked a deal with Def Jam Recordings Africa, a new label division under the Universal Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. He then released Therapy and embarked on a Therapy Tour where he headlined significant European festivals.

3. Gyakie

Shortly after the release of the remix of Forever featuring Omah Lay, Gyakie announced she had signed a deal with Sony Music and RCA Records UK. From there, Gyakie gained global recognition and achieved a lot of firsts, including being the first Ghanaian artist to perform on VEVO UK's DSCVR platform and being the first female Ghanaian artist to win at The Headies.

4. KiDi

KiDi kicked off 2021 by securing deals with two American companies, EMPIRE and Made In East New York. Months after the announcement, he dropped his album, The Golden Boy, which had the chart-topping Touch It. The single went viral in several countries across the globe, including India. KiDi later dropped the remix featuring American rapper Tyga.

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5. Sarkodie

Days after he released his studio album No Pressure, Sarkodie revealed he had signed a music publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing UK. After he inked the agreement, the celebrated Ghanaian rapper visited several African countries, including Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania, to promote his album; he also stopped by the United Kingdom.

6. King Promise

In 2021, King Promise officially joined 5K Records in partnership with Sony Music UK. In addition to gaining global recognition, King Promise locked in several international collaborations with acts like Vic Mensa, Chance The Rapper, Headie One, and WSTRN. He also grabbed nominations at the MOBO Awards and won at The Headies.

7. Black Sherif

Black Sherif made a somewhat controversial move to American company EMPIRE distribution; however, his journey with the label has been successful. After churning out hit songs like The First Sermon and The Second Sermon, Black Sherif experienced tremendous success with Kweku The Traveller. The Ghanaian star dominated several charts and landed a collaboration with Burna Boy. He also earned his first BET nomination for the Best International Flow award, following in the footsteps of Sarkodie.

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Black Sherif Becomes First Ghanaian Artist to Hit 100 Million Streams on Boomplay

YEN.com.gh previously reported on Black Sherif becoming the first Ghanaian to join the Boomplay Golden Club. This achievement meant the Konongo native has amassed over 100 million streams on the music platform.

Black Sherif joins other African stars like Burna Boy, Rema, Fireboy DML, Simi, Tiwa Savage and others who have surpassed 100 million streams on Boomplay.

Source: YEN.com.gh