Renowned Ghanaian music producer, Hammer, known as Edward Nana Poku Osei, in his private life, has observed how vernacular limits rappers.
He stated in an interview with Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z that it is not easy for African rappers to have an international breakthrough if they use their local languages.
Hammer elucidated that the same cannot be said about songs, stating that the reach of rap on the global stage depends on the language used.
“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,” Hammer said.
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He also explained why Sarkodie has been doing more rap in English lately.
“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.”
Hammer opened up about how impressed he was with Sarkodie’s English rap delivery on his ‘No Pressure’ album.
