Rapper Sarkodie, born Michael Owusu Addo and nicknamed the Landlord, has disclosed that he almost declined the offer to collaborate with Bob Marley posthumously.

He explained himself by saying he is his own harshest critic. 

The two-time BET award-winning Hiphop/Hiplife artiste was speaking to Sideman on the +44 Podcast on Amazon Music (Seaon 2, Episode 8).

In view of "how hard I [am] on myself," when he and his team received the email and "had the conversation," to record a rap verse for a new version of the Bob Marley & The Wailer's 'Stir It Up' classic, he almost declined the honour "just out of respect." 

"I felt I was not worthy to lay my vocals next to the legend's," he added. "I was really hard on myself."

Clearly his throat, he recalled his manager, Angel Town, telling him: "This is a big opportunity," but because in that moment, he was thinking as an artiste who "just felt I'm not the right person," and not as a businessman, he was adamant. 

When the record was sent, and he noticed "this is his [Bob Marley's] real vocals [from] when he recorded it, and when I was listening to that in the studio - I captured it on camera. It was very spiritual, at that moment," the SarkCess Music boss said.

On the creative process, he revealed that he recorded "like four verses and I had to choose the right one." He worked on the song having in mind that: "I'm saying something next to Bob Marley. It [felt] like me and him in the booth. You can't [drop the ball]."

The most decorated African rapper in history, he indicated he was also sensitive to Bob Marley's brand and made sure not to use any language or thought that would be foul or inconsistent with his image. This, he said, is like when he works with his role model Ghanaian rap legend Obrafour. 

He praised the Jamaican icon as a pacesetter; "The work he's put in, we follow. He set the pace for what I have to do."

On the production, Sarkodie, alias Obidiponbidi, said: "I brought it [the song] home, as in having my producers from Ghana, but the message and everything that he stands for, I [had] to make sure that I back[ed] it."

"I got away with the song because the song was not one of his super conscious type of records, [this was about] love, so I could get away with it," he added on the lyrical content.