Ghanaian rap fans are enjoying a windfall of sorts which they can hardly believe. In the social media sphere, the for or against over Sarkodie’s ‘Bossy’ track, Manifest’s ‘godMC’ reply and Sarkodie’s ‘Kanta’ counter rages on.
 The arguments have been intense even personal as they have been trivial. The supposed beef has been simmering and gets spicy by the day. To think that the debate has crossed the social media border to offices, barber shops, bars and schools gives an indication that rap fanatics have waited for such hot competition.
It must have started when VGMA Artiste of the Year Elom Adabla a.k.a. EL served his ‘King without a Crown’ song effectively proclaiming himself lord over Ghana’s rap kingdom.
Hear him: //You ni**ers are thinking am comfy you don’t understand my position. I mean if we are talking real rap any day I would murder you bit**es. F**k a ni**er who don’t put me on top of the list, suck a d**k//
EL adds that may doubted if he had enough gas in his tank but he is here today despite the odds submitting ..I am the B.A.R.
Many folks might have heard the tune without paying particular attention but rap heavyweight Michael Owusu Addo a.k.a. Sarkodie perused the lyrics and felt he must set the records straight through his ‘Bossy’ song which effectively took a dump on virtually any rapper worth his name out there.
Sark begins his sermon: //Who is the best now of course it’s me god damn it. Grammy no be easy but we gon get it//
That would have been fine after all every one aspires to greater heights but Sark was not done. He had just cleared his throat to unleash his venom.
//Broke ni**ers wey dem dey perch we on credit wey dem dey try put me on freeze. I said it, shit is gonna be scary I swear it down//
It appears Sark got peeved that despite his generosity some rappers or rapper sought to take a swipe at him and then went to the meat of the matter. EL’s titled track was ‘King without Crown’ so Sark responded.
//Am a king but I don’t feel I got to wear a crown. You got to spit from the heart not be your jaw. Best MC’s right from the top dem be best because they write from the heart Big, Jay Z to Nas. It’s all about the emotions bro f*ck the bars//
You do recall EL offered his B.A.R and B.A.R 2 mixtapes which trended, well Sark wasn’t impressed and if the ‘Koko’ king was under any illusion then he must have known bro Mike was not buying it.
Okodie further submits that till dead he will keep on making ‘dough’, has more armour stored on iCloud which when released will raise eye brows.
//You do more shows let your return be known. You diss me but cannot defend your own, wushia me cool but you pretend on phone//
Caustic Sark stresses that he had sold out shows at Apollo, 02 and Troxy. He adds all these totofifi (chil dish) rappers can’t touch him.
//King Sark the ruler, paved the way no shortcuts to heaven. Ya measure me, yesi see me rap ye thick tall//
The dig at Manifest and then EL is obvious in the preceeding verse. Interesting also is the feature of Jayso of Skillions Records on this ‘Bossy’ track given that EL was with Skillions before jumping ship to BBnZ and had featured Jayso on his 16 Bars.
Sark not done with his sermon continues: //Fake ne**ers, snake ne**ers I don’t like. I don’t believe its all hype. Friend turn to enemies, its called life//
And then makes the fatal error of declaring Manifest’s name with his //Manifest me sere wu let me just use your dot dot dot ti dot to end this verse//
Even EL and the other rappers name wasn’t categorically mentioned so why Sarkodie chose to mark the bearded MC out although in supposed benign manner beats the mind.
When ‘Bossy’ landed many were looking up to EL, the title holder to offer a counter attack swiftly and on social media platforms some observes including Kelly Nii Lartey Mensa were baiting EL to respond but it was ‘Kaa Bu Ame’ video which rather was offered by the BBnZ camp much to the chagrin of many who felt after the supposed destruction of Flowking Stone by Okodie, he ought to be given stiffer competition and like rain on a parched earth Manifest emerged with his ‘godMC’.
Manifest is known by industry people for his musical gifts and deliberate effort to advance the African cause but truth be told he was not a man very known by the masses till now.
Showing that he is as lethal and he is intellectual, Manifest’s ‘godMC’ shall rank high in the all-time rap offerings and it shall not amaze me if some rap enthusiast keeps this piece just to show kids or grandkids a few decades later what a rap treasure looks like.
Lilwin’s viral phrase of …enu na me teasei nu…I can’t think madness, I can’t think far opens the discourse before Kwame Ametepe Tsikata a.k.a. Manifest sets the tone of greater things to come with: //Yea I pull up on the feature screaming hallelujah//
On EL’s ‘Hallelujah’ which featured Manifest, the latter stated //I am a maverick not average//
Taking aim straight at Sarkodie. He continues: // Clash of the titans I had dinner with Medusa, don’t turn me to Stonebwoy am a ruler//
Reputed to snuff the life out of people and turn those who behold her snake like hair on her head to stone statue, Manifest must have been alluding to the fact that he is the ruler of rap as Shatta Wale is ruler of reggae/dancehall despite Stonebwoy’s efforts.
Manifest further shoots mentioning that he is precocious (intelligent/developed early) whereas //these dudes you call cool atrocious (exceptionally bad or displeasing)//
And here he aims at the bulls eye (Sarkodie) //you want to be king get your arse in line//
In reference to King Sark.
Rappers ought to have effortless word base and word play and Manifest makes listening to godMC something special.
//On my Lampard chale am so frank. These no be bars just passing through, chale I dey, I just chok it//
Again manifest makes it clear he wasn’t delighted with certain claims in EL’s B.A.R so takes a dig at him too.
It is here perhaps that Sarkodie got infuriated the most and felt if he failed to counter (kanta) his reputation would have been soiled.
//Some of my peers spineless, they are muppets (stupid or weak). Always nodding like a lizard damn it agama. What’s a king to a godMC. Numero Uno that be me. Tell the fashion police they can make an arrest. These boys copying the West looking a mess. Its retarded//
//I got a strong will, I am the prime target. Go to the market buy yourself some manners. Don’t use my name in vain that for starters. When the boss is around who can you boss around//
//Now we some intelligent ni**ers that cannot dumb it down. Even my nonfa back then had some sense in it. Dem dey claim pure gold but dem be copper. Don’t compare a name dropper to a show stopper like me. You ain’t got to like ..only 5’10 but the flow be thick taller//
//Fed on Nina Simone and Koo Nimo..if you talk funny and you think you can go scot free then travel safe my guy Godspeed. ‘Nowhere Cool’ coming soon for your TV changer e go shatter glass ceilings. It’s a game changer//
Manifest rounds up the verses that have endeared him to many other rappers fans converting them to his Manifans and emerged an even more respected MC and wordsmith.
//godMC never been a faker. I dey go see Shatta for Mahama paper. My guy Obidi let me return the favour later is greater//
And once again Liwin closes the track with his … I can’t think far phrase.
Perhaps in his whole rap life, Obidipondi never felt verbal blows as much as Manifest’s dished and so sought to salvage some reputation.
Falling on Panda by Desiigner, Sarkodie labeled his cover ‘Kanta’ a play on words of counter.
He circles around before biting on the beef //Mepe legitimate, no kulukulu//
Seeking perhaps to draw in the political leanings of Manifest’s father (Tsatsu Tsikata) in particular who served time over claims he caused financial loss to the state.
After the brouhaha which met his ‘Inflation’ track which sought to tabulate the economic hardships facing the citizenry, Okodie had been guarded not to project himself as a sympathizer of the main opposition party but his disdain for the ruling government manifested once again.
//…November election I hope sey the people go teach you lesson/
But he was quick to add //I got love for Mahama and I got love too for Nana. Me respecti leaders but eba bibia meka kos sark do Ghana//
Responding to Manifest’s attack that his dress style was a mess, he averred //am far from a rapper, me swag nu ye dapper. Obi bei dissi me a nei nye rapper odi GTP e pam kaba//
Manifest has emerged as a rapper whose dress style incorporates African prints and beads. Obidi sought to mock Mani on this account but many rap observers and even fabric maker GTP reckon it was below the belt especially when the state and other bodies urge citizens to ditch the suits for home fabrics.
Never one to miss a chance to blow his trumpet, Sark states his rap is authentic combing flavours from Jay Z and Kendrick Lamar. He hits again on the dress style mocking Manifest that when he can’t keep up with the swag he claims to be Afrocentric.
//Totofifi (children) wanna diss they beat around the bush wu ye b**ch. Joe se beef na wu pe a get your numbers up nye sa mei serve wu fish. Smart move obei dissi obidi. Obidi they promote album. Mia mu mi fli wu flow nsu ka nukre wu nyom ne krom tisei Atom//
//Sark no go diss you for nothing ni**er. Ni**er already you suffering. Me waste mi flow on a new beat en dissi and pay for production. Ne**ers dey diss me for promotion, masu ayei shi for Toronto. See I helped you free but efri enei ko we be working pro bono//
Folks had questioned why Sark used a cover to reply Manifest but Obidi perhaps had reasoned questions will be asked so submits he won’t pay for a new beat for this diss track and in attempting to state that he was no longer going to offer free services and that now it was going to be on Pro Bono basis, he lost the meaning and incurred the mockery of the neutral and Mani fans.
Sark is under no illusion that Manifest aims for his spot but warns that it’s not cheap to take it adding the only time Mani sounds good is when he raps on his own but failed twice when he featured him on his songs with the claim he wasn’t in his zone.
Getting direct, Sark declares //No say you no dey rap, you don’t qualify for the throne//
Sarkodie then smartly seeks to rally his Tema rappers to his cause with special mention of Omar Sterling when he says they will drop the crown in 2040.
//Enye edro e be favour. My success go turn you to hater//
Sarkodie then hits touch down when he proclaims //Of course I go pass on the torch ne**er but definitely ain’t you//
For a while reggae/dancehall dominated the space but it appears the rappers are keen to reclaim the spot and with talk of Manifest hitting back one wonders if EL, Edem, Guru, Omar Sterling, D-Black, Kwaw Kese, C-Real, Gemini and other notables will aim shot and fire except in responding the swear words must be toned down.