For his recent criticism on Ghanaian radio hosts, director Socrate Safo has pounced on Sarkodie.
The rapper during a discussion with Fire Stick, a Ghanaian UK-based stylist and fashion critic, voiced alarm about how Ghanaian radio presenters and analysts increase pressure on Ghanaian singers to transgress boundaries.
Sarkodie says he doesn’t see why long-time local radio hosts would condemn singers for failing to break into new markets.
“It is easy for somebody to sit on radio and tell you Shatta Wale no do this. You, you dey radio top for Ghana for close to 20 years wey you no fit come enter Choice for here or BBC. I don’t think you have the moral right to talk about artiste wey e dey Ghana wey e no move. Because me I go BBC because it is Komla Dumor wey e make I go,” Sarkodie said.
Some radio hosts have already spoken out against Sarkodie, calling his words “disrespectful,” which has caused a firestorm of controversy. Socrates Safo, a well-known Ghanaian film director and entertainment industry expert, has said that the rapper needs to work on his interview abilities.
Socrate called Sarkodie “one of our top artists,” but warned that the musician needed to “repackage” himself in terms of interviews and watch what he said.
I feel like there’s only one thing he’s missing right now. When I was a talent manager, one of the most important things I taught the artists I was developing was how to succeed in interviews. Socrate said, “I read in a book that your interview skills are crucial as an artist because it may knock you down and it can also elevate you up.”
He taught Sarkodie a valuable lesson by saying, “Every artiste should have a bag of replies for a pack of questions.” In radio, there is no equivalent of “graduate” or “moving up to the next level,” as in other sports. Moving from Ghanaian radio to the BBC or CNN is not the same as graduating; rather, it is a transition from one industry to another. The method does not need you to state that the individual has not improved as part of your submission, and it is not a law.
Expanding into new markets is what we mean when we say, “go international. Just because you haven’t broken out of Ghana doesn’t mean you’re any less talented. There are a lot of moving parts involved in expanding internationally… You sat on local platforms to promote your brand, and as a result you made some connections,” the director said.
Sarkodie has yet to address the backlash his tweet has generated, despite the fact that it has been a top trending topic on Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms.
For his recent criticism on Ghanaian radio hosts, director Socrate Safo has pounced on Sarkodie.
The rapper was speaking with Fire Stick, a Ghanaian stylist and fashion critic residing in the UK, when he voiced his concern about the pressure that Ghanaian radio presenters and analysts put on Ghanaian artists to push the envelope.
Sarkodie says he doesn’t see why long-time local radio hosts would condemn singers for failing to break into new markets.
“It is easy for somebody to sit on radio and tell you Shatta Wale no do this. You, you dey radio top for Ghana for close to 20 years wey you no fit come enter Choice for here or BBC. I don’t think you have the moral right to talk about artiste wey e dey Ghana wey e no move. Because me I go BBC because it is Komla Dumor wey e make I go,” Sarkodie said.
Some radio hosts have already spoken out against Sarkodie, calling his words “disrespectful,” which has caused a firestorm of controversy. Socrates Safo, a well-known Ghanaian film director and entertainment industry expert, has said that the rapper needs to work on his interview abilities.
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Socrate called Sarkodie “one of our top artists,” but warned that the musician needed to “repackage” himself in terms of interviews and watch what he said.
“At this point, I think he lacks one thing. One of the key things I taught artistes I groomed was interview skills. I read from a book that as an artiste, your interview skills are paramount because it can bring you down and it can also lift you high,” Socrate said.
Schooling Sarkodie, he explained that: “Every artiste should have a pack of answers for a pack of questions. We don’t graduate in radio as though you were in Division One and moved to Division Two. Getting to BBC or CNN as a Ghanaian radio presenter is not graduation but a movement from one sector to the other. It’s not a law; neither is it part of the system to reference in your submission that the person hasn’t improved.”
“When we say ‘go international’, it’s an expansion of market. It doesn’t mean if you’re in Ghana and hasn’t gone international you’re not good. Going international has many dynamics… You sat on local platforms to push your brand; out of this, you got certain links,” the filmmaker added.
Sarkodie is yet to address the backlash his tweet has generated, despite the fact that it has been a top trending topic on Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms.
