Sark 3y3 nkuto na ye’de twa plane ticket #HUH?
From the base I know an artiste’s manager is supposed to handle the affairs of his or her client's movements, bookings, interviews, performance, listen to the songs of the client and endorse before release and also handle damage control when things go wrong.
When I heard the song "Free Press" from the rapper Sarkodie, I felt he went wrong on a couple of statements he made on the song, so I was expecting his management team, if anything at all to either explain Sarkodie’s lines very well so we don’t get him wrong, apologise for some of the things he said or just let the song and its tension die like every rumour in Ghana.
You can imagine my disappointment when in an interview, Sarkodie’s Manager Sammy Forson, a media person himself, said their management had no problem with the lyrics of the song in an interview on Top FM, an Accra-based radio station and said “a lot of people are getting him (Sarkodie) out of context and that if you try to listen without judging him, you will realize a little bit of positive stuff he is trying to say.”
Who listens to a song without judging the lyrics? And if I should quote him right he said; "It’s depressing when you travel outside and you do not come across any media house from your homeland but only foreign ones".
So he is calling on the media that besides doing local stories in Ghana, they should be initiative or also try to relate to the outside media so that when a Ghanaian is going out to represent Ghana, you will be there to see everything for yourself than to rather rely on foreign media and report it on certain sense”
Before I come back to Sammy Forson let me address Sarkodie, your “Free Press” track wouldn’t have had any issues if you mentioned directly the people you were trying to get your message across to. But to generalize your issues, that was wrong and seriously some of your words were so out of line.
Example, lines like “They fuck with me cos I know them really well, Only give you interviews to show you how I really felt, I went on BBC cos Komla Dumor put me on, is all about connections men, forget wo songs, so my fellow journalists don’t get me wrong monso mongyae s3 mote Ghana na monko wishy more, mo ma yen ho to yen, am really doing me my best, No resource so am just feeding on my view from my fans and the rest. Daa me tu kwan go BET is only me, no media men but they have time to tweet. And I go through the stress and you still have the guts to tell me I perform for cleaners, blacks what the fuck is wrong with you?”
Sarkodie, as you know by now is not “Nkuto” Shea butter that we use to acquire plane ticket, Visa or the BET Ticket, (3y3 Sika) it's money, like trust me every journalist will follow you to the United States of America.
And the only reason we tweet is we love what you are doing for the country and that is the only way we can support you and show love since we can’t make it to the States.
And when did tweeting become a bad thing? Your label is supposed to have a public relations person to release information and also to answer questions. And in the case of BET awards, information and clarifications are supposed to come from your camp or on any other matter unless Sammy Forson doesn’t do the talking anymore?
From your lyrics it looks like you only know about the bad journalists out there so if you don’t know let me inform you. There are journalist and bloggers you don’t know, you haven’t met or spoken to before and even when you do you will ignore them or your body guard will not let them get close to you because you are Sarkodie “The Star”.
But these are the people who will wait late in the night when the bad networks are best to write positive articles about you, upload your songs, tweet and share to make most of your songs hits. You said on the track “All I have is fans and the flows on the beat” Question, how do you think your “fans” get your tracks if not for the tweets and the sharing?
And your line “I go through the stress and we still have the guts to tell you perform for cleaners, blacks what the f#ck is wrong with you?” I did it on my own, What the hell is wrong with you? Unless the word “blacks” you used in the song is a name of a person, then metaphorically you are referring to us Ghanaians, which is way out of line and Sammy, you better do the talking.
I know hip hop is all about expressing what you really feel but Sarkodie if you don’t have the guts to mention the names of the people you have issue with then don’t generalize your lyrics. And Sarkodie the only reason why we don’t F#ck with you is, so far you haven’t f#cked with us till now.
Some of you musicians disrespecting us on a track like that, how would that give us the Ghanaian Journalist any good image to follow you abroad or even let us give you the support you need? Sarkodie Listen!!! Industry support, no investors, no resources from you the big star or the industry, nothing, all we have is our computers and modems.
We go through the hell of promoting and supporting in our small way so you guys should know how to address issues on your tracks and social media. #Let's help.
Sarkodie, addressing your “Free Press’ track is doing my Job. Now back to Sammy Forson. Sammy, you know the Ghanaian media and economic system. Covering local shows is even a problem, talk about flying to cover a show in USA, LA without any sponsorship or invite from BET or any other show.
So if you attend a show with Sarkodie, what stops you from communicating the information and the turnout of events to us here in Ghana or to clarify any false rumour or information since you are a media person? Or better, since Sarkodie is now an international icon, why don’t management team get him a public relations officer because as your artiste asked, is Nkuto (Shea butter) what we use for payment?
Sammy Forson, I understand sometimes you are supposed to stand by your artiste because he is your client but when one is wrong he is wrong. People are really doing a lot for Sarkodie, it may not be giving him an endorsement deal, taking him to BBC or the BET or buy Sark wear.
But in their small tweets, uploads, articles, playing songs on their shows and with help of the Almighty God, they are making Sarkodie's name go far. So if you don’t have even Nku (Shea Butter) 'sef' to give don’t disrespect.
But he was right on one point, no investors, nothing. He should do a track and ask Obour and the people in charge of the music industry, like your man said, I’m saying what is on my heart #hahaa
