Music producer Hammer has suggested that African rappers should consider incorporating more English into their music to reach a wider audience globally.
In an interview with Joy FM’s Kwame Dazdie, Hammer, born Edward Nana Poku Osei, emphasized the importance of using English as an international language to connect with fans beyond their local borders.
He pointed out that artists like Sarkodie have successfully integrated English verses into their songs, which has contributed to their success on a larger scale and augmented entertainment news in Ghana.
“It’s easy to sell vernacular in a singing format than in rap because ‘sing-songs’ have melody. Rap songs are words.
“So the beats drive rap songs. Listen to Zibote, we still don’t know what they were talking about but we love it because it is a song-song.
“It is easier for a ‘sing-song’ to cross over, like Asake with the Yoruba. He can cross over with it because it is a ‘sing-song’ but if you rap in Yoruba you will go hungry,” he said.
Hammer elaborated on the reasons behind Sarkodie’s increased focus on English rap compared to his previous work.
“Sarkodie has suffered out there. The reason he has transformed into an English rapper is that he has to move on because the vernacular rap will limit you,” he stated.
He said he was impressed with Sarkodie’s English rap delivery on his ‘No Pressure’ album.
Meanwhile, Sarkodie, during his Europe tour in 2015 to promote his Mary album, emphasized in an interview with France24 in France that he chooses to rap in Twi, his native language because he believes music is about emotions and expressing them authentically through his mother tongue.
Sarkodie’s fourth studio album, Mary, was officially launched on September 12, 2015, at the West Hills Mall.
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