Sarkodie signs with Sony Music Publishing UK

The exact details of the deal are yet to be made public, but the move is expected to enhance the international reach of Sarkodie’s music. Until the deal, the musician operated as an independent artist.

“Officially part of the Sony Music Publishing – United Kingdom family,” Sarkodie said confirming the news.

Speaking on the Accra-based Okay FM on Tuesday, Sarkodie said he was drawn to Sony because of the company’s longstanding track record.

“With a company like Sony, you know the list of people they have worked with. They are professional, and it’s best when they deal with your admin stuff when it has to do with publishing. I can’t go into detail, but it’s a general publishing deal that will see them handle publishing,” he said.

SMP UK said the company was “beyond thrilled” about the arrangement and promised “exciting things to come.”

Sarkodie's publishing and administration deal comes on the heels of the release of his latest album No Pressure last week.

“I’ve been doing this for over 10 years, and I trust the process,” Sarkodie told Audiomack about the project. “I believe in growth. I believe in going through the stages. I don’t believe in skipping any stages. So I went through what I had to go through for 10 years to build the Sarkodie brand.

“There’s a lot of pressure put on artists that does not make them get to the next level because of what people expect them to do. But at this point, I’m trying to tell people, as much as I’ll take your tips or your advice, I still trust the process. No Pressure is about creating music and not necessarily trying to please anyone. I want to create music, good music.”

Before the launch of the album, Adidas’ representative in Ghana, Nutmeg Limited, announced a partnership with the rapper that is geared toward driving Africa’s creative economy. “The idea is that people create. In this case, Sarkodie is creating music, and we want to recognise, emphasise and put it out there,” Nutmeg CEO Valerie Fontanier-Ghajar said.