Sarkodie (born Micheal Owusu) is one of Ghana's most popular hiplife and hip hop artists. He is known as a battle emcee, having entered many on-air competitions in which he would knock out each component. He specializes in sped-up raps and he has been named Africa's fastest rapper. Coming from an underground scene, his debut album 'Makye' (2008) established him on a commercial level. Sarkodie has also been involved in fund raising for orphans and community projects. In 2010 he was awarded Best Artist at the Ghana Music Awards and he was signed to Konvict Africa, the label run by American/Senegalese r&b-singer Akon.