RAPPER Sarkodie has urged African-Americans to come home as Ghana marks the Year of Return this year.

The rapper made the call after emerging the first winner of the Best International Flow at the 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards.

The most decorated musician in Ghana’s music history beat Falz (Nigeria), Ghetts (U.K.), Kalash (France), Lil Simz (U.K.), Nasty C (South Africa), Tory Lanez (Canada) to be the first act to win that award.

While receiving the award at a ceremony which was taped at the Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Center on October 5, Sarkodie used the opportunity to urge patrons and the world to visit Ghana.

“This year is the Year of Return and I will urge each one of you here to take a trip back home….it’s going down in Ghana so if you are coming to Africa choose Ghana,” he said.

This year marks exactly 400 years since the first black slaves landed in Jamestown Virginia in the U.S.

The initiative urges Africans in the diaspora to come back home and so far, it has seen an impressive array of celebrities, including Steve Harvey, make their way to Ghana to explore, learn and appreciate their roots.

Sarkodie also dedicated the award to his daughter, Adalyn Owusu Addo (Titi).

“I want to say a big thank you to the almighty God, to my family. This one is for my little girl (Titi)…”

He also gave shout outs to singer Akon with whom he has an interesting history with.

This will not be the ‘Illuminati’ rapper’s first nomination at an awards scheme organised by BET.

He has been nominated three times - in 2012, 2014 and 2015 - for the BET Awards in the ‘Best International Act’ category. He jointly won the award in 2012 with Nigerian musician Wizkid.

With over 81 awards from 148 nominations to his credit, the rapper is unmatched in the Ghanaian music space and he is adding BET Hip Hop Awards plaque to his impressive collection of laurels.

The 2019 edition of the BET Hip Hop Awards made a return to Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Center after vacationing in Miami for the last two years.