Culture

Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie fires shots at Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Asake in new single ‘Brag’

Published

2 months ago

May 13, 2024

Ghanaian rapper, Michael Owusu Addo, popularly known as Sarkodie, has sparked a new round of storm after he fired shots at Nigerian Afrobeats singers, Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy and Asake in his new single, “Brag.”

In the single which dropped on Friday, May 10, Sarkodie boasted about his 2016 sell-out performance at the O2 Arena, claiming he paved the way for the Nigerian acts.

The Ghanaian rapper said he laid the light for Nigerian Afrobeats top artistes and as such, they should be grateful to him and his pioneering role in projecting their careers.

The “Painkiller” hitmaker boasted about selling out the O2 in 2016, long before the Nigerian stars and created the platform they are now enjoying.

He went on to place himself in the same league as Grammy Award-winning Burna Boy and Ghanaian rapper, Black Sherif.

Sarkodie also stated that his main competitors in the music industry were American rappers Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, noting that he wasn’t on the same level as African rappers.

A line from the song goes:

“Wizkid came, I was already doing it, Davido started, I was improving it, then Odogwu came through Black Sherif & Asake.”

The release of “Brag” has however, elicited controversy and heated debates within the African music community, with fans weighing in on Sarkodie’s bold assertions and the perceived rivalry between him and the mentioned Nigerian artists.

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Culture

Tems, Tyla bag 2024 BET Awards

Published

10 hours ago

July 1, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nigerian and South African female singers, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, and Tyla Laura Seethal, simply known as Tyla, once again, made the continent proud when they bagged different gongs at the BET Awards held at the Peacock Theater in Downtown Los Angeles on Monday.

It was Tems’ fourth and she did it in grand style by edging out top stars like Kirk Franklin, CeCe Winans, Maverick City Music, and others to win the Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award with her 2023 song, “Me & U” at the 2024 ceremony.

Tems had earlier won two BET Awards in 2022 for Best International Act and Best Collaboration for Wizkid’s “Essence”.

In the 2023 edition, Tems also won the Best Collaboration award for her song with Drake and Future “Wait for U”.

South Africa’s “Ampioano” star, Tyla, however, took home two awards for Best New Artist and Best International Act.

The BET Awards, established in 2001 by Black Entertainment Television, is an American award show that recognises and celebrates the achievements of Black entertainers and other underrepresented groups in music, film, sports and philanthropy.

Culture

Egyptian movie Smokey Eyes to compete at 5th Amman Int’l Film Festival

Published

2 days ago

June 30, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Egyptian thriller, “Smokey Eyes”, is set to compete at the 5th Amman International Film Festival which will hold in Jordan from July 3rd to 11th.

“Smokey Eyes”, which was directed by one of Egypt’s top directors, Ali Ali, will feature in the Arab Short Films Competition which will be a tough fight for movies in the MENA region.

“Smokey Eyes” which already had its world premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival, is a story that delves into the aftermath of the 2011 Egyptian uprising, addressing social issues such as police brutality, religious tensions, and restricted freedoms for women.

The thriller also marks the acting debut of Egyptian rapper, Marwan Moussa, and follows the character Nour, whose planned date night in Cairo is disrupted by unforeseen events.

“Smokey Eyes” also stars Malak Bazid, Marwan Moussa, Hassan Abouelrouss, Nourine Abouseada and Mohamed Aboughali.

Directed by Ali and written by Nancy Ali, it features cinematography by Pierre Mouarkech and editing by Nada Zag and was produced by Khaled Zaki of Good People Films produced the film, with a soundtrack composed by Sary Hany.

Ali Ali is probably Egypt’s number one film director and co-founder of Good People Films who transitioned from being a computer engineer to pursuing his passion for storytelling through film.

He made his directorial debut in advertising with the popular NEVER SAY NO TO PANDA ad, which amassed 100m YouTube views and earned him the prestigious Gold Lion Award at Cannes.

Throughout his career, Ali has garnered numerous accolades, including four coveted Yellow Pencils in Direction from London’s D&AD and over eight Gold Lions from Cannes.

He has also served as the President of the Direction Jury at London’s D&AD Awards in 2020, a member of the Film Jury at Cannes Lions International Festival in 2023, and has been recognized as one of the Ten Most Influential Advertising Directors in the World Today by Adweek and the Gunn Report.