Arnold Asamoah-Baidoo is an entertainment journalist
Entertainment critic Arnold Asamoah-Baidoo has refuted claims Ghanaians do not value Sarkodie enough, backing his submission with pieces of evidence that contradict the rapper.
During his media tour in Nigeria, Sarkodie corroborated a claim by Beat FM presenters that, unlike Nigeria, Ghana has failed to celebrate their own.
One of the presenters remarked: “Sarkodie still does not get enough credit as he is supposed to. I don’t know if it’s the way the Ghanaian industry is or maybe it’s just familiarity. From the BET’s to the things he has done for the industry, he doesn’t get credited enough.
“Look at the way Nigerians celebrate their own. Wizkid, Davido Burna Boy and so on. I look at Ghana and it’s not the same. Just look at the song Sarkodie did with Ace hood and he is one of the very few artistes pushing the country internationally. He filled out the Apollo Square in the UK. We recognize how talented you are especially what you are doing not just for Ghana but for Africa. I think that our Ghanaian brothers and sisters don’t know what they have.”
Nodding his head in satisfaction after listening to all their observations, Sarkodie in his response said: “What you have just said would have been taken in a different light when it’s coming from me. It will be seen as dicey and it will be misconstrued. I’m glad it’s coming from you guys and I want this video to trend. You have rendered me speechless because everything I want to say you have said it.”
In his bid to deflate the assertion, Arnold Asamoah-Baidoo making a submission on UTV’s United , Saturday, and monitored by GhanaWeb, chronicled the enormous support Ghana has given Sarkodie right from the onset of his music career.
“Sarkodie is the only artiste to win Discovery of the Year and overall Artiste of the Year in the same year. He’s been in the industry for over ten years; for you to actually be consistent, it depends primarily on the artiste. Secondly, it means there is a certain level of support system coming from the general populace – fan base, media fraternity, stakeholders within the industry – all these elements are Ghanaians,” Arnold argued.
He continued: “Sarkodie is the most decorated Ghanaian artiste and he’s been able to do that over a ten-year period. That level of support given him to get those accolades was from Ghanaians.
“Sarkodie has won VGMAs more than any artiste in Ghana. There is a public element in the voting pattern of the VGMA. Who forms part of the public? Ghanaians! I want to have an understanding. Seriously, if I want to flip it, I’ll say Sarkodie is rather not giving us enough credit for the level of support given him for the ten-year period.”
Expanding the conversation, Arnold asseverated that Ghanaians have always cherished talents. He recounted how news of Shatta Wale’s collaboration with Beyonce was celebrated by the entire citizenry as well as how indelible other moments have been on the minds of Ghanaians.
“Do you know that after the Beyonce and Shatta Wale collaboration, the celebration went beyond Shatta Wale?”, Arnold asked. “Even the dancers were elevated to the point that former president Mahama applauded them. Aside from that, the technical staff were also celebrated by their secondary schools. As I sit here, I’m confounded, bemused, bewildered; I do not know exactly what else Sarkodie wants us to do for him.”
Watch Arnold’s submission from 1 hour 42 minutes of the video below.