A social media challenge turned into a music industry legend, all thanks to AJ Sarpong. When asked to share a story that sounds made up but is completely true, the media personality recounted a tale that now feels like folklore, but shaped one of Afrobeats’ most viral tracks.
She was asked by an X user to: Tell me a story that sounds fabricated but is 100% true. Music industry edition. The user added, half-joking, “Don’t air me.”
Sarpong rewound to late 2019, months before the world changed. Nigerian label Chocolate City had reached out to her to handle press and potential collaborations for two rising stars, CKay and Blaqbonez. Through her boutique firm, she managed publicity, events, and media placements, but locking in creative partnerships in Ghana proved far more complicated.
“I did the work, got all the press sorted but the problem now became collaborations!” she said.
She reached out widely to Ghanaian artists, hoping to pair CKay and Blaqbonez with local talent. The responses were disappointing. Some never replied. Others stalled. A few prominent names, she hinted, simply declined.
With options dwindling, Sarpong turned to Albert, then with Lynxx Entertainment. After a string of rejections, his response was a surprise.
“So I finally reached out to Albert, then of Lynxx Ent, and surprisingly after many No’s he said the first Yes, sure anything for me! Imagine my relief!”
That yes triggered a creative chain reaction. Sarpong escorted the Nigerian acts to Lynxx’s camp, and sessions kicked off immediately. CKay and Kuami Eugene clicked. Beats rolled, melodies bounced around the room, and in the middle of it all, CKay played a track he had been working on: “Love Nwatintin.”
Kuami Eugene was instantly drawn in.
“Kuami loved it and created some magic right there with a verse!” Sarpong recalled.
Months later, the song dropped in 2020. Sarpong championed it from the start, spinning it on radio and pushing for broader circulation. But it didn’t catch fire right away.
“Was disappointed cos I looooved the song!” she admitted.
Then came March. Covid-19 lockdowns hit. Borders closed. Streets emptied. People retreated indoors—and TikTok exploded as a cultural force. In that perfect storm of boredom and algorithmic discovery, “Love Nwatintin” found new life.
The remix went global. A track that once struggled for rotation became unavoidable, soundtracking dance challenges, wedding videos, and online trends around the world.
“And the rest they say is history,” Sarpong wrote, laughing at how improbable it all now seems.
Before the streaming numbers, before the international charts, before the pandemic amplified its reach, it all started with a single yes and a studio session in Ghana.
“Always proud of my role in bringing those 2 incredible artistes into the same room.”
So towards the end of 2019, Chocolate city reached out to me to do some press and collaborations for ckay and blaqbonez, (I do press, events and promotions through my boutique firm)
— AJ Akuoko- Sarpong (@ajsarpong) March 5, 2026
I did the work, got all the press sorted but the problem now became collaborations!
So I… https://t.co/dQceZJBtoV
