The public feud between Sarkodie and Stonebwoy turned on a single question the rapper says he asked at the start of a private phone call: "What is your problem?"
The two Ghanaian artists have spent the past week trading statements over social media, offering conflicting accounts of their private conversations and the principles they say guide their conduct. The dispute began on September 7, when Sarkodie posted a message to his SarkNation fanbase urging them to support his music without attacking rival artists. He warned against toxic fan wars and said artists should not encourage supporters who insult other musicians in the name of loyalty.
Stonebwoy read the post as a challenge to his own behaviour. In a lengthy response, the dancehall artist recalled calling Sarkodie after his Rapperholic show at the Royal Albert Hall in the UK to congratulate him. The two spoke for more than 10 minutes, according to Stonebwoy. He claimed that after his own performance at the OVO Arena Wembley, Sarkodie shared a second video on social media that Stonebwoy interpreted as carrying an indirect message aimed at him. He said only Sarkodie could explain what he intended to communicate through the post.
Stonebwoy said he later contacted Sarkodie after noticing what he described as cryptic posts, leading to another conversation between the two artists. That call lasted more than an hour, he said, and covered industry behaviour, relationships, and their differing perspectives. According to Stonebwoy's account, Sarkodie told him that no artist could be forced to uphold a particular principle and that musicians sometimes acted according to what benefited them. Stonebwoy used that alleged position to attack the consistency of Sarkodie's public advice, closing his message with a pointed line: "Without PRINCIPLE, advice is an OPINION."
Sarkodie rejected the account in a lengthy statement of his own. He specifically denied saying that artists should act according to whatever benefited them and accused Stonebwoy of misrepresenting his words. The rapper also insisted he had never made a social media post intended to shade Stonebwoy. He questioned why Stonebwoy had connected the posts to himself and explained that he usually avoids responding to interpretations created by fans. He said he chose to address the matter because Stonebwoy had raised it directly.
The two artists also disagreed over loyalty and how to handle industry relationships. Sarkodie explained that his position during their private conversation was that individuals had the right to decide whether to forgive or maintain relationships with others, but could not control how another person chose to handle those same situations. He argued that Stonebwoy associated with people who had disrespected him but said he had never assumed that Stonebwoy supported their actions. According to Sarkodie, the two artists did not have to share identical views or relationships to maintain mutual respect. He maintained that their common goal could be to succeed together where possible, while accepting that they might not always agree.
Sarkodie pointed to previous efforts to maintain their relationship. He said he had repeatedly reached out to Stonebwoy to resolve misunderstandings, citing his invitation to the Royal Albert Hall show, congratulating him on career milestones, and discussing opportunities for them to perform together. He argued these actions demonstrated that he did not harbour animosity towards Stonebwoy. He also expressed frustration that their private disagreements had become public, suggesting he had made efforts to address similar concerns directly in the past.
In a follow-up post on September 8, Sarkodie wrote: "A lot to unpack here, but first things first there's no need to say something I never said that artistes should play along so far as it benefits them. The first thing I asked you when we got on that call, and I still want to ask, is 'What is your problem?' If, for any reason…"
The exchange has renewed conversations about the relationship between two of Ghana's biggest music acts, particularly their differing expectations of loyalty, professional conduct, and how artists should respond to perceived disrespect. Stonebwoy maintains his concerns are rooted in principle and consistency. Sarkodie insists his comments have been misinterpreted and that he has not deliberately targeted his colleague.
According to NotJustOk.
