Popular Ghanaian rapper Michael Owusu Addo, often known by his stage name Sarkodie, has pleaded with the public to be forgiving while criticizing up-and-coming artists.

The 'Highest' rapper claimed in a Facebook post that, unlike his contemporaries, who had the opportunity to fix many of the mistakes they made early in their musical careers, today's artists would have to make the errors while performing because of the unpredictable nature of the media landscape.

“My era coming up , we had time to make our mistakes behind cameras and at least work on our approach to this business (how to speak during interviews, stage craft, how to deal with this industry in general) still learning but comparing to these young kings coming up, they literally starting right in front of our eyes ( social x traditional media) they have to learn to correct mistakes at their peak,” he wrote.

Therefore, it was advised that these inexperienced performances be regarded with kindness when evaluating their craft.

“…it’s a lot of pressure and sometimes affect their decisions. It’s not easy at all for them . I would urge we take it easy on them and give them a chance,” he added.

Sarkodie's statement comes at a juncture when there is a perception that certain social media commentators, bloggers, and the broader entertainment media are excessively critical of creative individuals.

There has been growing concern about the potentially detrimental impact of negative commentary on the creative outputs of individuals, as it could significantly affect their confidence and innovative spirit.

Sarkodie has, on numerous occasions, criticized the media for their approach, particularly for magnifying unfavorable aspects concerning artists.

In September 2022, during an interview with Firestick, he asserted that individuals in the media and punditry who have not participated in international platforms like the BBC lack the ethical authority to pass judgment on Ghanaian musicians for not achieving international recognition.

Regarded as one of the foremost rappers on the African continent, Sarkodie has achieved remarkable success in the music industry, garnering accolades both locally and internationally.