Ghanaian rap icon Sarkodie has taken aim at what he describes as a dismissive attitude toward music as a profession, arguing that treating the industry as less serious than conventional business ventures misrepresents how the global creative economy works.
In a post on X on Sunday, April 26, the award-winning rapper said questions asking artists what “proper business” they run outside music are offensive and rooted in a misunderstanding of the industry’s scale. He wrote that music “is actually one of the biggest industries in the world,” and argued that building a career in it is a genuine commercial decision involving investment, risk and long-term planning, no different from any other business venture.
Sarkodie said pursuing music as a primary occupation should be understood as entrepreneurship, and that the ecosystem around it, spanning producers, managers, promoters, distributors and event organisers, reflects a serious and functioning industry.
His remarks resonate at a moment of growing visibility for Ghana’s music internationally. In March 2026, Sarkodie sold out the Royal Albert Hall in London for his inaugural Rapperholic UK concert, with all 5,272 seats filled. He has since announced plans to take the franchise to The O2 Arena, one of Europe’s largest indoor venues, illustrating precisely the kind of scale he argues critics overlook.
The comments have drawn significant engagement online and added to wider conversations about how creative careers are valued within Ghana’s economy and in public discourse more broadly.
That question “apart from music, what business do you do? Like, a proper business?” honestly comes off as a bit insulting. Music is actually one of the biggest industries in the world, and in many cases, it’s just as serious (if not more) than what people like to call “proper…
— Sarkodie (@sarkodie) April 26, 2026
