Cultural chauvinists descend on lyrical geniuses Sarkodie & M.anifest - Part 2

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ADJOA WANGARA 7 years ago

Francis kwarteng is becoming sillier and sillier day by day, very soon will shall see kwarteng as the first "pig" ever to fly.

Francis kwarteng is becoming sillier and sillier day by day, very soon will shall see kwarteng as the first "pig" ever to fly.
RUTH 7 years ago

King sarkodie.... You've won already...... Noooooooo competition....... MANIFEST will be better advised to leave music for the musicians and rather enter poetry recitals because he is in the wrong industry..... His friends an ...
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King sarkodie.... You've won already...... Noooooooo competition....... MANIFEST will be better advised to leave music for the musicians and rather enter poetry recitals because he is in the wrong industry..... His friends and family only remember him for his DEEP RAPS AND BIG ENGLISH...... these mean very little to the vast majority of Ghanaians, fun seekers, party goers,..... We just want to dance to good good music, regardless of the depth of words or big English......... When we hear kwaadee sing, obuor sing, stonebwoy sing, sarkodie sing, edem sing, wiyaala sing, tiffany, mzvee, mzbel, afya, eazzy, richie, okyeame kwame, okyeame quofi, flowking, kuntakinte, sherifatu, vvip, r2bees, chris waddle, shatta wale, vibrant fire, wuta, lumba, daasebre, dada kd, dblack, dcryme, pappi kojo, joey b, kofi kinata, akatatkyie, sassquad, ambulley, ampadu, afro moses, etc etc..... We move to the dance floor to boogie..... But not sit down and weigh the depth of rap or big English....... So please in this regard sarkodie reigns now....... From Ghana to Africa to the diaspora sarkodie is superb and a household name....... Manifest, we have to google you to know you so please don't be deceived that you are also among the best in Ghana.... You don't come anywhere near............ Have you heard stonebwoy, Shatta wale, recently,,,,?... These are real monsters..... You hear them and you feel proud to be Ghanaian.... But you manifest?...... Naaaaaaaaaaaa........ Naaaaaaa......... NO NO NO NO.......
Tsunami 7 years ago

And I agree with you. The guy is a poet plain and simple and he should consider leaving the music scene. You could feel he sings out of tune and do not flow as a natural musician.

And I agree with you. The guy is a poet plain and simple and he should consider leaving the music scene. You could feel he sings out of tune and do not flow as a natural musician.
Koo 7 years ago

But will M.anifest be good as a pure poet?

Point is how many Ghanaians read poetry? How many PEOPLE read poetry in the world?

People talk a lot about Bob Marley's lyrics and Kwarteng goes on a lot about that and the te ...
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But will M.anifest be good as a pure poet?

Point is how many Ghanaians read poetry? How many PEOPLE read poetry in the world?

People talk a lot about Bob Marley's lyrics and Kwarteng goes on a lot about that and the text of other reggae artists. But the question is how many people will listen to Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and all the others if they only wrote their philosophy as poetry?

I know virtually nothing about the music of Sarkodie or M.anifest but I doubt if anybody will care about what they are saying if not for the music.

Saying M.anisfest should concentrate on poetry is to confine him to a category where he will be even less well known.
francis kwarteng 7 years ago

Well said Koo.

You are one of the voices of reason on this website.

You are probably also one of the few to fully grasp what I have tried to say about M.anifest and Sarkodie in this two-part series.

Thanks for shar ...
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Well said Koo.

You are one of the voices of reason on this website.

You are probably also one of the few to fully grasp what I have tried to say about M.anifest and Sarkodie in this two-part series.

Thanks for sharing!
Francis kwarteng 7 years ago

Ghana (and Africa) HAS to offer...

Ghana and Africa HAS (HAVE) to offer....

But where are THE Ghana's (country's)...

..................................

Ghana (and Africa) HAS to offer...

Ghana and Africa HAS (HAVE) to offer....

But where are THE Ghana's (country's)...

..................................
RUTH 7 years ago

.... MANIFEST will be better advised to leave music for the musicians and rather enter poetry recitals because he is in the wrong industry..... His friends and family only remember him for his DEEP RAPS AND BIG ENGLISH...... ...
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.... MANIFEST will be better advised to leave music for the musicians and rather enter poetry recitals because he is in the wrong industry..... His friends and family only remember him for his DEEP RAPS AND BIG ENGLISH...... these mean very little to the vast majority of Ghanaians, fun seekers, party goers,..... We just want to dance to good good music, regardless of the depth of words or big English......... When we hear kwaadee sing, obuor sing, stonebwoy sing, sarkodie sing, edem sing, wiyaala sing, tiffany, mzvee, mzbel, afya, eazzy, richie, okyeame kwame, okyeame quofi, flowking, kuntakinte, sherifatu, vvip, r2bees, chris waddle, shatta wale, vibrant fire, wuta, lumba, daasebre, dada kd, dblack, dcryme, pappi kojo, joey b, kofi kinata, akatatkyie, sassquad, ambulley, ampadu, afro moses, etc etc..... We move to the dance floor to boogie..... But not sit down and weigh the depth of rap or big English....... So please in this regard sarkodie reigns now....... From Ghana to Africa to the diaspora sarkodie is superb and a household name....... Manifest, we have to google you to know you so please don't be deceived that you are also among the best in Ghana.... You don't come anywhere near............ Have you heard stonebwoy, Shatta wale, recently,,,,?... These are real monsters..... You hear them and you feel proud to be Ghanaian.... But you manifest?...... Naaaaaaaaaaaa........ Naaaaaaa......... NO NO NO NO.......
Idiot Mugabe of Montie 7 years ago

"Feature Article of Saturday, 9 July 2016

Columnist:
Francis Kwarteng, Dr. Molefi Kete Asante"

What is that? Stolen identity?
Please kindly explain to forumers what you meant by the above appellation. Are you an impo ...
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"Feature Article of Saturday, 9 July 2016

Columnist:
Francis Kwarteng, Dr. Molefi Kete Asante"

What is that? Stolen identity?
Please kindly explain to forumers what you meant by the above appellation. Are you an imposter?
Bernard 7 years ago

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MARCUS AMPADU 7 years ago

D-Black & Rap Dacta (Okyeame Kwame) had it correct:
The former said "Both Sarkodie and M.anifest are great MCs...., we should be closer knit as Ghanaian acts to take on the continent."
And the latter put it this way, "Inst ...
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D-Black & Rap Dacta (Okyeame Kwame) had it correct:
The former said "Both Sarkodie and M.anifest are great MCs...., we should be closer knit as Ghanaian acts to take on the continent."
And the latter put it this way, "Instead of creating animosity, music should be used to bring fans together so we can concentrate on developing a better performance culture."

Wise words from D-Black & Rap Dacta which I hope would put an end to the unnecessary lyrical beefing, battling & dissing that could unleash similar East Coast vs. West Coast rap war that led to the assassination of Notorious B.I.G. & Tupac Shakur, who were at the pinnacle of their careers.

We are blessed with creative lyricists. Enormous talents abound not only in Ghana, but throughout the continent and these creative lyricists shouldn't be inhibited from expressing themselves in any language they prefer - Twi, Wolof, Hausa, Swahilli, Yoruba, Ayigbe, Dagbani, Ndebele, Ga, Xhosa, Pigin, or English. The focus should be on achieving better performance culture, as Okyeame Kwame aptly said.
Tsunami 7 years ago

My worry is that people are always talking Afrocentrism and yet turn to rubbish the use of own own local materials. They want one to write and speak like Shakespeare and be well groomed in English before they can consider you ...
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My worry is that people are always talking Afrocentrism and yet turn to rubbish the use of own own local materials. They want one to write and speak like Shakespeare and be well groomed in English before they can consider you to be serious. That's unfortunate! People forget to appreciate the fact that all the different parts of speech in English are also found in the various local dialetes.
Francis kwarteng 7 years ago

There is nothing like AFROCENTRICISM. The correct word is AFROCENTRICITY. And Afrocentricity does not say you cannot or should not speak Yoruba, English, Zulu, French, Hausa, Spanish, Russian and Chinese, Japanese...but only ...
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There is nothing like AFROCENTRICISM. The correct word is AFROCENTRICITY. And Afrocentricity does not say you cannot or should not speak Yoruba, English, Zulu, French, Hausa, Spanish, Russian and Chinese, Japanese...but only Twi! No where does it say that.

And no one is talking about M.anifest being poetically and musically Shakespearean. He has never been. In fact M.anifest raps in Twi, English, pidgin.....so what is your point?

DID YOU READ THE LYRICS FOR M.ANIFEST'S "W'ANI ABA"?

Did see pidgin, Twi and proper English words/phrases/sentences there?

Well, Sarkodie also raps in proper English, Twi, and pidgin, so, again, what is your point?

I guess you did not critically read the article or that you are not familiar with the lyrical contents of the large repertoires of both artistes.

Even American rap contains proper English and Ebonics! Afrocentric rappers such Public Enemy, Sista Souljah, KRS-1,Mos Def(Yassiin Bey), Talib Kweli....all used this platform...

Please listen to the words and also watch the videos for Nicki Minaj's ANACONDA, which samples Sir Mis-a-Lot's BABY GOT BACK, and Mos Def's MATHEMATICS.

This will give you an idea on what this two-part series is all about. Thus let us not approach these two talented lyricists on the basis of emotions alone.

Remember I have chosen to leave out all technicalities or discuss rap from its inception (Old School Rap) in the late 70s to the present...across the world.

Let me leave it right here!
Tsunami 7 years ago

Afrocentrism = Afrocentricity

What then makes manifest's lyrics deep? is it about comet and galaxy's and milky ways etc that ordinary people do not readily relate to?

Afrocentrism = Afrocentricity

What then makes manifest's lyrics deep? is it about comet and galaxy's and milky ways etc that ordinary people do not readily relate to?
francis kwarteng 7 years ago

Hello Tsunami,

Afrocentricity and Afrocentrism are not the same (though both are nouns).

Go to www.asante.net and read more. I don't think you are familiar with the large body of scholarship on the subject.

Let me ...
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Hello Tsunami,

Afrocentricity and Afrocentrism are not the same (though both are nouns).

Go to www.asante.net and read more. I don't think you are familiar with the large body of scholarship on the subject.

Let me make it simple for you. Read the following books (all by Dr. Molefi Kete Asante):

1) "Afrocentricity: The Theory of Social Change"

2) "The Afrocentric Idea"

3) "Kemet, Knowledge and Afrocentricity"

4) "An Afrocentric Manifesto: Toward An African Renaissance"

5) "Afrocentricity: Imagination and Action"

6) "The Painful Demise of Eurocentrism: An Afrocentric Response to Critics"

The world's leading theoretician of this concept ("Afrocentricity"), Dr. Molefi Kete Asante, developed the idea in its fullest dimension and called it specifically "AFROCENTRICITY," not AFROCENTRISM.

In fact, he has written several technical papers published in peer-reviwed journals, where he takes on those who are misleading the public by referring to his body of ideas as AFROCENTRISM, rather than AFROCENTRISM.

It is mostly uninformed Eurocentrists who refer to it as AFROCENTRISM. Take a look at the last book on the list, for instance.

As for your main question there is no need for me to address it. Let me suggest this: If you know of any children who love wacthing cartoons and reading comic books, ask them this question and they should be able to answer it fully.

Or ask "child" rappers like Another Bad Creation...Da Youngstas...A+...Criss Cross (one of whom is dead)...shyheim...Lil Bow Bow...Lil Romeo...Souls of Mischief...

I hope this helps!

Have a great day!
Prempeh 7 years ago

Mr. Francis give it a break, would you? Isaac Adjei-Andoh has written the best piece so far putting everything to rest. Afro this an Afro that is all nonsense to some of us. Britain just voted to leave for EU. Do you thin ...
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Mr. Francis give it a break, would you? Isaac Adjei-Andoh has written the best piece so far putting everything to rest. Afro this an Afro that is all nonsense to some of us. Britain just voted to leave for EU. Do you think Europeans care about one European identity? Seriously, the French, German, Brit, Swiss etc all cling tight to their national identities. I am a Ghanaian and that's it. We will never unite. Nigeria is better off breaking in several countries. In Ghana politicians deliberately fuel tribal hatred, divide the people for political reasons. Ashantis often having the short end of the stick...... attempt are made constantly to incite other tribes again. The same people hypocritically turn around and preach Afro this and Afro that. Wearing wax print doesn't mean anything to me. Who selling Africa my foot. We have African Americans wearing Kente cloths. Language is the best identity. A local musician has been able to rap in twi to international audience to win award. Twi rapper gone global and people don't see that as selling Ghana?! Where else is two spoken? Why do you think people are learning Chinese? Language is a powerful tool not a shirt made with wax. By the way I didn't read this article and I am sure most people won't read it. Give it a break.
MARCUS AMPADU 7 years ago

Judging by ur name or moniker, Prempeh, you must be Asantenin. From where did you get the information that "Nigeria is better off breaking into several countries"? Obviously an opinion, similar to anti-Ashanti saying that As ...
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Judging by ur name or moniker, Prempeh, you must be Asantenin. From where did you get the information that "Nigeria is better off breaking into several countries"? Obviously an opinion, similar to anti-Ashanti saying that Asante would be better off reverting to its original states, with Kumawu out of the Asante kingdom. The jury is still out on whether Brexit was the rational move with the slumping British pound.
Yentie 7 years ago

Prempeh, you are right but don't forget Kwarteng is simply incorrigible. Some of us on Ghanaweb have been trying to tell him for some time now to just take a deep breather but he thinks he is the melting pot of Ghana's intell ...
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Prempeh, you are right but don't forget Kwarteng is simply incorrigible. Some of us on Ghanaweb have been trying to tell him for some time now to just take a deep breather but he thinks he is the melting pot of Ghana's intellect... And he just keeps shooting his mouth off, blabbing...and blabbing. There was such a character as 'mouth of south' on the wrestling circuit, and now guess what... we have our own Mouth of Ghana.
Osei Boakye 7 years ago

That's the problem, Yentie, you need to stop wasting ur time on the wrestling circuit and spend more time reading, and maybe you might become, if you are lucky, the Mouth of Ghana.

That's the problem, Yentie, you need to stop wasting ur time on the wrestling circuit and spend more time reading, and maybe you might become, if you are lucky, the Mouth of Ghana.
Yentie 7 years ago

Fair point but don't kid yourself...I never watch wrestling: I only know of mouth of the south through reading, so there.

Fair point but don't kid yourself...I never watch wrestling: I only know of mouth of the south through reading, so there.
Yentie 7 years ago

Just today, somebody on this site asked why some people keep changing their pen names and there is a good reason for that. The logical question to ask this particular individual is...and just how did s/he know some people kee ...
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Just today, somebody on this site asked why some people keep changing their pen names and there is a good reason for that. The logical question to ask this particular individual is...and just how did s/he know some people keep changing their pen names on this site? You see, this individual, because of all the outcry from the respondents to this individual's rather confrontational articles once wrote: "I've somebody tracking your IP addresses." Good heavens...are we in a police state now? Unless this individual's life was threatened in one way or the other, nobody has the moral right to be tracking other readers' IP addresses, directly or indirectly. That borders on criminality! Ghanaweb could do that but not an individual.
francis kwarteng 7 years ago

Andoh's article is probably one of the weakest on the subject matter!

Just go back to his article and read on just one "technical" issue I raised about his article.

Some of the issues he raised were almost "chidish" t ...
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Andoh's article is probably one of the weakest on the subject matter!

Just go back to his article and read on just one "technical" issue I raised about his article.

Some of the issues he raised were almost "chidish" to a point!

In fact, his was primarily "surface" analysis of a deeply expansive and technical issue!

There were just too many holes...factual, logical, evidential...in his article!

He does not seem to have a firm grasp of the rap world from its inception to what we have today!

If I decide to take him on, it will literally books and not series of articles to deal with the issues he raised. I am not bragging because this is probably one of the greatest areas I am most informed!

He himself admitted to his biases most of which I counter with "hard" facts. But this is not a subject matter I want to waste time on.

Let me end as I do not want to push this subject matter further.
francis kwarteng 7 years ago

You don's know the difference between AFROCENTRICITY AND AFROCENTRISM and you keep changing your monikers on Ghana!

And, you don't have any idea that that Sarkodie has used so many Afrocentric conceps in his music videos a ...
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You don's know the difference between AFROCENTRICITY AND AFROCENTRISM and you keep changing your monikers on Ghana!

And, you don't have any idea that that Sarkodie has used so many Afrocentric conceps in his music videos and repertoire.

Do you want me to give you examples? That is easy to find out anyway! Just go to google.

You see how lazy some of you are!
Tsunami 7 years ago

It shows how shallow you are! You thought there was nothing like Afrocentrism and after checking from google you came back to try to explain what the two words means. I have books from Molefe Kete Asante and do not think you ...
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It shows how shallow you are! You thought there was nothing like Afrocentrism and after checking from google you came back to try to explain what the two words means. I have books from Molefe Kete Asante and do not think you can take anybody to school here. I want you to explain what you mean when you say manifest's lyrics is deep. He said he created the golden stool so dwarfs could gain height?? is he picking his thoughts from Ghanaweb where ewes are saying that Okomfo Anokye is from Nortsie etc. Just explain what you people mean when you say manifest's lyrics is deep. We want to know.
francis kwarteng 7 years ago

Dear Tsunami,

Contact Dr. Molefi Kete Asante and tell him excatly what I have told you and come back and tell me about his response is.

This is a man most of whose 80 books and 500 articles I have read. This is is a ma ...
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Dear Tsunami,

Contact Dr. Molefi Kete Asante and tell him excatly what I have told you and come back and tell me about his response is.

This is a man most of whose 80 books and 500 articles I have read. This is is a man I am constantly in touch with.

Mention the title of most of his books and articles and I will discuss the contents with you.

This is also a man I have personaly discussed this AFROCENTRISM and AFROCENTRICITY dichotomy with. Contact him and ask him about these questions.

If you have any of his books on Afrocentricity and has seriously read them, not the deeply shallow write-up of Andoh, then you will dare not mention the fact that AFROCENTRICITY and AFROCENTRISM are the same.

Again, this clearly tells me you are making up stuff and has not critically read the man's works.

Contact him and tell him about anything I have said about him and his works on Ghanaweb. As a matter of fact he has access to every single major article I have published here on Ghanaweb!

Did you listen to Mos Def's "Mathematics" and Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" yet, both of which should give you an idea what I have been trying to across in this two overly simplistic two-part articles?

If you have not, please do! That will open your eyes. As for Andoh's article let's forgive it. I don't have extra time to waste writing one rejoinder after another.

It will probably take me the rest of the year to write technical articles on rap from its inception to what we have around the world today, including our own hiplife!

Now your last question:

Talk to any kid who loves cartoons and comic books and reads J.K. Rowlings' "Harry Potter" literary series!

These cartoons, comic books, and Rowlings' literay serise have the answers!

I am done for the day!

Enjoy the week!
Kwame Joe 7 years ago

Ghanaians have jaded sense of humor. We've got to learn to laugh, think, and learn to cry.

Ghanaians have jaded sense of humor. We've got to learn to laugh, think, and learn to cry.
GaituBismark 7 years ago

@Ruth I don't know your educational background or whether you have eaten today,you seems to be very bitter,madam chill up..okay.....I don't see why this petty squabble should give you sleep less nights

@Ruth I don't know your educational background or whether you have eaten today,you seems to be very bitter,madam chill up..okay.....I don't see why this petty squabble should give you sleep less nights

Cultural chauvinists descend on lyrical geniuses Sarkodie & M.anifest - Part 2

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