Hey there, music enthusiasts! Today, we've got a scoop on the incredible Michael Owusu Addo a.k.a. Sarkodie, the Ghanaian rapper who's been rockin' the music scene for years!Sarkodie has finally spilled the beans on why he's been sailing the music seas all on his own for nearly two decades!

In an exclusive sit-down with the fabulous Angela Yee on her show, Way up with Angela Yee, Sarkodie dropped some truth bombs about his journey from the heart of Ghana to becoming a global icon.

Angela Yee amongst several other questions, asked Sarkodie how has managed to attain global relevance as an independent artiste, with diehard fans worldwide.Turns out, Sarkodie came in through “the back door!” No, not like a sneaky cat burglar, but through social media and rap battles. He's got mad skills, and his fans have been with him every step of the way.

Despite the chance to sign with major labels, Sarkodie chose to stay independent. Why, you ask? He was all set to sign in the beginning, but his unique style had some doubters. So, he took matters into his own hands, funded his first video, and rocked the world with his unstoppable talent. Now, he's an international superstar, and those who passed on him are probably kicking themselves!

While he wouldn't mind a helpful backbone, Sarkodie loves the freedom of doing things his way. He's got the weight on his shoulders, but it's all part of the thrill!Read a transcript of the interview below.

Angela Yee: We have a very special guest from Ghana, let me say his name right, Sarkodie?Sarkodie: Sarkodie, yes. You got it right.Angela Yee: But we are going to call you Sark for the rest of the interview [Laughs].Sarkodie: I feel you. I understand [Smiling].Angela Yee: But welcome to "Way Up" with Angela, and I really appreciate having you here. You have such a huge following. Some people would say that you are the biggest artist from Ghana.Sarkodie: I don't want to say that.Angela Yee: But some people would say that.Sarkodie: Yes.Angela Yee: Because you’re very humble. You’re also the first artist from Ghana to reach a million subscribers on YouTube.Sarkodie: That just happened. Big shout-outs to the fan base. They updated me on that. You know, I am really bad at keeping up with my own self, and I saw it on Twitter that I hit a million, which is great.Angela Yee: Wow! What is your secret to connecting with people that way that you have?Sarkodie: I think I came into the game by default, through the back door, meaning I didn't come through media really. Because I was trying to literally come as a commercial artiste and have my songs on the radio, but it didn’t happen because the type of music I was doing at the time was not what was happening at the time. It was like super commercial high life music that was dominating, and I was rapping on sometimes kicks without no bass line, just raw, what I felt. So I had to take to social media, and that’s when I built a following. And I also used to do rap battles on a radio station in Ghana, so that kind of built followers because they used to vote every Saturday. I had to battle like over 20 something MCs and I kind of like came out on top all the time, yeah, so like…Angela Yee: That is pressure. Okay [laughs].Sarkodie: I built a following that cared about the journey because they were part of it from day one till now, so it’s a bit beyond just having a record; it’s more of like we know that’s our guy who’s sitting there, yeah.Angela Yee: … And to this day, you’re still independent, right?Sarkodie: Yes.Angela Yee: That is amazing for you to have accomplished even the international superstardom that you have being independent. You know, is there a situation where you feel like you would sign to a major label?Sarkodie: To be very honest, I really wanted to in the beginning, um I still would love to. I think partnership is good. It just has to make sense to you. Um so in the beginning, that’s what I was looking for. It started in Ghana, even in Ghana, I was looking for a label in Ghana because I’ve never been signed even in Ghana, so the type of music I was doing, as I said, people did not believe that I was going to sell, so I had to do stuff on my own. So just being able to do stuff and flipping back to back I got used to it, so it’s my own being stubborn, that’s why I don’t, I don’t involve people coming in.Angela Yee: Some people missed the bag then. Because I am sure those people that you had an opportunity to sign with, I know they’re like damn we missed the bag.Sarkodie: I know right. I know. And I still see a couple of them, but I think it’s just meant to be that you were supposed to be in charge of what you’re doing, and you can’t fight it because I didn’t understand why people did not want to sign me. Because there were a lot of people around them that I felt could have done better, but I always got passed on, you know? So then I had to do it myself. I paid my first video with my first pay cheque. I remember it was a beauty pageant in Ghana where I got my first pay cheque, and then I shot my first video with that. So then I built that flipping of money to date. So I’m used to it. I’m not saying that that’s the best way all the time.Angela Yee: (impressed) It just worked for you.Sarkodie: (reflective) Sometimes, you just need the weight off you, which I feel sometimes, that I wish I could have like a backbone that could take care of certain things I don’t have to think about too much because it’s a lot, being a creative person and also thinking about me being here, how to navigate my way around and all of that. So it’s pressure, but sometimes, I enjoy it…

There you have it, folks! Sarkodie, the Ghanaian rap icon, on his epic voyage to stardom without a major label by his side.

Source: The Indepenent Ghana