With African music enjoying global attention and attracting investors, rapper Sarkodie has argued that artistry within the industry has been stripped away.
In an interview with South African media outlet Sowetan, monitored by GhanaWeb, Sarkodie explained that music has become a numbers game now.
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The rapper noted that success in the industry is now measured by who is trending online, who can create a viral sound for TikTok, or who can pull the biggest streaming numbers.
He acknowledged that these strategies are suitable for publicity, but noted that not every musician wants to chase that.
The rapper mentioned that some artistes want to create music just for the love of it, music that speaks to them and connects with an audience, regardless of whether it goes viral.
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But with the way the industry is now structured, people are being conditioned to value songs based on how successful the artiste is, rather than the quality of the music itself.
“There is too much of the businessman coming in and messing things up, taking away from true artistry, which is making music based on what you feel. The game has changed; now it’s about numbers, who’s trending, or creating a sound for TikTok dance challenges.
“That’s fine, it makes for good PR, but that’s not for every artiste. Some musicians want to make music they love, music that still has an audience. But that’s not art. You don’t buy an artwork because of how successful the artist is; you buy it because it’s good.
“This narrative is pushing many great musicians aside in favour of short-lived trends. I believe we need to get back to signing true artistes and developing them so they can sustain themselves in the industry for the long run, just as I have,” Sarkodie said.
Also catch the latest episode of Talkertainment with Ghana’s most-sought-after MC/Hypeman, Kojo Manuel, below:
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