Sarkodie salutes Akon for laying the groundwork for Afrobeats’ global rise
Ghanaian rap icon Michael Owusu Addo, widely known as Sarkodie, has publicly recognized Akon’s pivotal role in spotlighting Afrobeats on the world stage.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Sarkodie offered high praise to the Senegalese-American star for championing African music long before it captured global attention.
“Big shouts to the legend @Akon for what you did for Afrobeats!!! We can’t skip that in history… few artists at their prime will look back and put their people on from the motherland! He did that in a big way!” Sarkodie wrote, applauding Akon’s foresight and generosity.
The Sarkcess Music frontman stressed that while Afrobeats has grown immensely in sound and scale, Akon’s early contributions remain a critical part of its origin story. According to him, the genre’s present global success owes much to artists like Akon, who supported African creatives at a time when doing so wasn’t yet trendy.
“Of course it’s been bigger and better since but we can’t ignore his contribution to the global dominance of Afrobeats,” he added.
Akon, known both for his chart-topping solo career and his advocacy for African talent, played a crucial role in ushering artists such as Wizkid, Davido, and P-Square onto international platforms. His efforts were not just collaborative but strategic, amplifying African voices in an industry still warming up to global diversity.
Big shouts to the legend @Akon for what you did for Afrobeats!!! We can’t skip that in history… few artists at their prime will look back and put their people on from the motherland ! He did that in a big way ! Of course it’s been bigger and better since but we can’t ignore his…
— Sarkodie (@sarkodie) May 29, 2025
