Michael Owusu Addo (born July 10, 1988) known professionally as Sarkodie, is a Ghanaian rapper and entrepreneur from Tema.[3] His contributions to the Ghanaian music industry have earned him numerous accolades, including the Vodafone Ghana Music Award for “Artiste of the Decade”. He was announced the first winner of BET’s Best International Flow artist at the 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards.[4] He is also considered one of the major proponents of the Azonto genre and dance.
Sarkodie was born on 10th July 1988[5][6] and raised in Tema and is the fourth born of five children. He attended Tema Methodist Day Senior High School and proceeded to IPMC, where he earned a degree in graphic design. Sarkodie began his music career as an underground rapper, participating in Adom FM’s popular rap competition Kasahare Level. He met his former manager Duncan Williams of Duncwills Entertainment while participating in the aforementioned competition. He also met musicians Edem and Castro, who introduced him to Hammer of The Last Two, an established record producer. Impressed by his rap flows, Hammer allowed Sarkodie to record two tracks for his album Volta Regime.
Sarkodie often raps in his native language Twi, a Ghanaian Language and is considered a “multifaceted rapper” due to the various musical styles he possesses. Sarkodie is often named as one of Africa’s greatest hip hop artists.[38] MTV Base ranked him sixth on its list of the Hottest African MCs in 2014.[39] In 2013, Lynx TV ranked him first on its list of the “Top 10 Ghanaian Rappers of All Time”.[40] In 2015, AfricaRanking.com ranked him third on its list of the “Top 10 African Rappers of 2015”.[41] In 2015, The Guardian listed him as one of its top five hip hop acts on the African continent.[42] He was ranked 8th on Forbes and Channel O’s 2013 and 2015 list of the Top 10 Richest/Bankable African Artistes.
