Ghanaian rappers Sarkodi (L), Akon (R)
Ghanaian rapper Sarkodi expresses his gratitude to Acon, a Senegalese-American music executive, and acknowledges his role in the global rise of Afrobeat.
In a post shared on X, Sarkodie gave Akon “Flowers” to be one of the few artists of African descent.
According to Sarkodie, Akon’s contribution to Afrobeats cannot be denied and deserves to be documented as an important part of the genre’s history.
He further stated that it is not common for globally successful artists to look back at the peak of their careers to support and promote other musicians in Africa.
Sarkodie acknowledged that while Afrobeats have grown exponentially over the years and now dominates the global music scene, it is important not to overlook the basic work Akon has done.
“A big cry for the legend to Acon for what you did for the Afrobeat!!
This recognition from Sarkodie comes just a few weeks after Akon reflected his involvement in the early development of the Afrobeats in an interview with Sherri Shepherd.
The “Lonely” hitmaker spoke about how he was particularly involved in the African music scene in Nigeria following the release of his album Freedom.
“…I was in Africa, but time has passed. 2008 was my last official album, a ‘free’ album. He then produced music for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. From there I went to Nigeria.
Wizkid was the first Nigerian artist to sign back in 2008. I went to work with him and Banky W from Nigeria. From there, we’ve only just started cultivating artists like Psquare, D’Banj,” Akon shared.
Also, check out our exclusive interview with Ayisi in the latest version of Talk Entertainment below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jjm0vitzlk
A big cry for the legend @Akon For what you did for the afrobeats!!! We can’t skip it in history… Their Prime artists almost look back and wear people from their homeland! He did that a lot! Of course, it’s bigger and better, but I can’t ignore him…
– Sarkodie (@sarkodie) May 29, 2025
AK/EB
