Multiple award-winning rapper Sarkodie has disclosed that he wants to be identified internationally as a “twi” rapper to sell the country’s arts and culture.
He said the rebranding is to distinguish him from other artists globally.
Speaking in an interview, the “Rollies and Cigars” hitmaker stated that his decision to switch from English to Twi rap was made consciously to sell the language of the country.
“I just loved it, and I was just doing it. One thing I knew for sure and was very particular about or very intentional about was the fact that I wanted to rap in my native tongue, and that was deliberate,” he said.
Sarkodie noted that rappers using their mother tongue to rap and sing were selling; therefore, he intentionally switched from rapping in English to Twi to also promote the country’s rich language and culture.
“I started rapping in English; that’s how I started, but then I always felt like I had to like myself better to a certain point,” he said.
The rapper indicated that it was a cheat for foreigners to embrace English rappers because they understood the dialect, stressing that it was their day-to-day language and nothing would also stop him from flowing with his native language.
“When I listen to an American rapper rapping, saying stuff that I don’t know, but then I have to do research to understand what he is talking about, it comes effortlessly, but when I look at the technical bit of it, I think I could be better than him.”
“The only difference is that he is saying stuff that people understand, and when I rap in the same language, it’s hard to go toe to toe, and I think it is a cheat because that is his day-to-day language, but when you think of the technical bit of it, flow, delivery, and everything, I think I got it,” he added.
Source: Ghana/MaxTV/MaxFM/max.com.gh/Joyceline Natally Cudjoe
