Sarkodie vrs Manifest beef: No winner yet but silence is golden #ManifestingSarks

• Posted on July 5, 2016July 5, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

“Nana when will Sark reply Manifest’s ‘godMc’?” I was asked by a friend and my reply was “Sark won’t reply this, he will employ a Jay Z style; he will wait for a while and even reply it in a feature, not his own song”. You remember how Jay Z replied Drake when Drake criticized him for his art-inspired raps in ‘Rolling Stone?’ Jay Z replied Drake in Jay Electronica’s ‘We made it’ song saying “Sorry Mrs. Drizzy for so much art talk/ Silly me rappin’ ’bout sh– that I bought”. I predicted this as the way Sarkodie (Sark) will reply Manifest’s jabs in ‘godMc’.

Social media for the next weeks would be inundated with analysis of Sarkodie’s reply ‘Kanta’ and Manifest’s ‘godMC’. The discussion for this week has centred on how Sarkodie wrongly used the word ‘pro bono.’ To some who didn’t even understand or better yet have not even heard the word before until Sunday when Sark used it, this demonstrates which of the two Rappers has strong command over the Queen’s language. To analyse beef, this is allowed and it makes sense to look for the loop-holes in both songs and anatomize them. Probably, Sark wanted to use ‘pro rata’ instead of ‘pro bono.’

If there is anything I have learned from Sarkodie, it is how he gives deaf ears to attempts to make him respond to negativities. Since his breakthrough, he has cleverly mastered this so well to the extent that, many think that is another talent he is blessed with aside from his rapping prowess. To respond to Manifest’s ‘godMC’ which did not even have direct shots at him alone has disappointed many including some of his fans (social media comments reveal). The impression given by Sark’s reply is that, he still feels he has to prove to his incontestable fan base that he has not lost his rap-battle energy yet as he even said it in ‘Kanta’ “Sometimes you guys feel like Sarkodie from way back is not like how I used to be, my n****, I’m still the same old same”. This to me triggered the ‘Kanta’ libido.

Another preposterous trending school of thought is that, this will take Sark down. To think that this beef is a beam balance to bring Sarkodie down and raise Manifest is one of the misconceptions many are living in. I am in overdose shock anytime I read that from people who have are not taking time to analyse this into details. The unassailable Sarkodie brand is one the country is yet to find a match. Inarguably, Sarkodie is the Jay Z of Ghana music and it will take more than a footling beef of this type to bring him down.

For some strange reason, people have been preoccupied with fuelling this and discrediting Sarkodie completely. Is it that people are fed-up with him or are provoked by his catalogue of success? Reading some comments about this beef reveals how some people were patiently waiting for such opportunity to extensively make their grievances known. In my few years on earth, I have realized that, success is infectious as well as failure. How the whole of Ghana celebrate the Black Stars any time they are progressing in world cup or Africa cup of Nations to the extent that, cars, homes and people are clad in Black Stars paraphernalia tells how success could infect people. When Adisadel College won the 2016 National Science Maths Quiz, it affirmed how success is infectious because almost every ‘Santaclausian’ celebrated this historic win and felt inspired to do exploit and add to it. Unless it is out of something else that people are creatively preoccupied with unduly discrediting Sark, let us support successful Ghanaians and project them to inspire others to know that, is it possible.

Personally I subscribe to those who think Manifest is amongst the unsung talents in Ghana. Listening to some of his songs makes a rap music lover wonder if it is promotion deficiency that makes some of his works unrecognized or he has not won the hearts and minds of Ghanaians yet. I still wonder and still finding answers to this. His ‘godMC’ song has given him a great mileage and he has proven how great wordsmith he is. I would have learned a lot from the song if I were a promising rapper and prepare for a day like this #ManifestingSark time in my career.

For the GTP and Woodin criticisms, it is fair to take Sarkodie on like how social media is spanking him but is hypocritical for people whose profile pictures on social media flaunts Ralph Lauren, Aldo, Zara and the Jack and Jones to be leaders of this crusade. And again, Sark should stop the incessant use of the ‘F’ and ‘N’ words.

It is an interesting moment in the music industry. The game is gradually changing from Dancehall to Rap music. The promising Rappers should start serious grooming because the baton stick has been passed on.

Author: Nana Kwesi Coomson (www.233times.net) @nkcoomson on Twitter