Opinions of Tuesday, 5 July 2016

Columnist: sirarticle.blogspot.com

Open letter to Sarkodie: Don't feel bitter; you either win or lose battle with Manifest

Sarkodie Sarkodie

Dedication - To James Nelson Cudjoe, a diehard fan of Sarkodie.

Ghana's rap game is getting increasingly murky, mainly because Sarkodie has replied Manifest's "god MC" with "Kanta." We all agree that "god MC" was wholly a diss track for Sarkodie, and Manifest actually threw shots at Sarkodie without fear or mercy.

Interestingly, Sarkodie feels really bitter about "god MC," and he has forcefully bitched about Manifest, his strongest contender and potential successor.

In fact, I am somehow disappointed in Sarkodie, my topmost role model, for releasing "Kanta" and even how he composed it. Yes, as an unbiased follower of Sarkodie, I believe he has stooped to resisting an overpowering challenge from a competitor. And that makes Sarkodie a coward and phoney to some extent.

Well, "Kanta" is a very nice Hip-hop song since Sarkodie's delivery was impressive and his lyrics were quite compelling. However, "Kanta" simply failed to match up to "God MC" since Sarkodie was practically resentful and less objective.

The Rapperholic uttered in sheer bitterness, "Me no me swag y3 dapper. Obi b3disse me na 3ny3 rapper a )de GTP ntoma pam kaba... Nansei s3 boys nni swag na ntare no ndoorso a, )mo claime Afrocentric. Ntortorfeefee wanna diss, they beat around the bush, onua woy3 bitch."

No wonder @itzMeOclock on Twitter tweeted that, "Somebro diss you intellectually then you reply like a market woman. Smh."

But @KOD_Gh on Twitter tweeted as a fair-minded fan of Sarkodie, saying that, "Being a diehard fan doesn't guarantee you to support blindly... Sark's #Kanta is way below what I expected from him... He should have stayed mute." Hello, Mr. M. O. Addo, you ought to be glad that Manifest has a musical grudge against you.

It is a fierce competition, which you either win or lose. You are the greatest Ghanaian rapper who is an obstinate egotist. So face Manifest like a man in an intellectual, wise and healthy manner. You certainly have to defend why you are deemed to be Ghana's foremost rapper internationally.

Moreover, Sarkodie has to tread cautiously because Manifest is an unsurpassed lyricist who has super mastery over Afro-rap. Manifest is like Nas and Sarkodie is like Jay Z in their ongoing rivalry.

The Nas-Jay Z beef in U.S. stimulated the music career of both Hip-hop giants, but Jay Z won in terms of career while Nas won on the mic. And I wish both Sarkodie and Manifest well in their stiff competition.

Sarkodie in particular, should remember that, rap music is all about "survival of the fittest." For if Sarkodie dethroned Okyeame Kwame and/or Obrafour, he need not be afraid of a possible coup by Manifest, who is arguably Ghana's best rapper.