Renowned Ghanaian Rapper Derrick Sarfo Kantanka, popularly known as Amerado in the entertainment space has spoken out about the timing of his hit single “Date Rush,” following public criticism that it was released too soon after fellow artist King Paluta’s track “Makoma.”
In a candid conversation on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z with Kwame Dadzie monitored by adwoaadubianews, rapper addressed the debate, shedding light on the strategy behind his release.
Social media users had questioned the decision to drop “Date Rush” shortly after King Paluta’s single, suggesting it could have overshadowed “Makoma.” Amerado, however, was quick to dispel the notion, explaining that the timing was part of a larger, well-thought-out plan. “My team and I have plans. Sometimes people make it seem they think about you more than you think about yourself, which is very bad,” he remarked.
Amerado revealed that he had originally planned to release his collaboration “Playman” with King Paluta on the same day as “Makoma,” but in an effort to support his colleague, they opted to hold off. “I agreed that he should release his song on that day so that I drop mine a week after his,” he shared.
Dismissing the notion that only one artist can dominate the airwaves at a time, Amerado argued that the music industry has room for multiple hits to shine concurrently. “The fact that we are playing King Paluta doesn’t mean we cannot play ‘Amerado,’” he said, adding that music consumption isn’t a zero-sum game. He cited veteran artists like Daddy Lumba and Amakye Dede as examples of how diverse tracks can thrive simultaneously in the market.
Since the release of “Date Rush,” Amerado’s strategy appears to be paying off. The song has found immense popularity on TikTok, with user interactions surpassing even some of his previous hit songs, including “Abronoma.” The rapper highlighted the track’s viral success on the platform, saying, “Out of all the big songs I have dropped, including ‘Abronoma,’ the ‘Date Rush’ song has the most interactions on TikTok.”
As for the success of “Makoma,” Amerado expressed confidence that both tracks could coexist and flourish, emphasizing that the unpredictability of a song’s success only further justifies his release choices. “No one knows how big a song will become,” he concluded.
Amerado’s five-track EP, The Gold Coin, which includes “Date Rush,” continues to make waves as the artist moves forward, reinforcing his position as one of Ghana’s most prominent musical voices. Despite the initial uproar, it’s clear that Amerado is not looking back.
