{"id":39947,"date":"2014-08-18T10:48:58","date_gmt":"2014-08-18T10:48:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=39947"},"modified":"2014-08-18T11:13:05","modified_gmt":"2014-08-18T11:13:05","slug":"get-off-my-back-sarkodie-slams-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2014\/08\/get-off-my-back-sarkodie-slams-media\/","title":{"rendered":"Get off my back! \u2014 Sarkodie slams media"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

With his newest single released last week titled Free Press, Sarkodie seems to have gone the full distance in throwing insults at the media in Ghana. He takes the media to the cleaners in a way that perhaps no Ghanaian artist has ever done, not even Shatta Wale, DKB or Bull Dog.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

In his song, Free Press, Sarkodie demonstrates his own \u201cfreedom of the press\u201d to launch a multi-pronged scathing attack on \u00a0the Ghanaian media whom he accuses of being mediocre and not doing enough to support artistes.<\/p>\n

He also laments how the media tends to focus solely on the negative side of artistes\u2019 careers instead of promoting their positives.<\/p>\n

In the song, which was recorded over the instrumental of Busta Rhymes\u2019, Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See, Sarkodie sings about the frustrations he has encountered working with the Ghanaian media and criticises them for their lack of ambition.<\/p>\n

He raps on the song that the media has developed a pull-him-down attitude, and asks them to emulate the late Komla Dumor, whom he praised for using his (Komla Dumor) influence at the BBC to get him on a show on that television network.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince Kwame Nkrumah we are proud of nothing else; daa pull me down cos negativity sells; they don\u2019t f**k with me cos me I know them really well. Only give you interviews to show you how I really felt\u201d, he raps on the song.<\/p>\n

The, multiple award winner, says in the song that he is speaking on behalf of all Ghanaian artistes and tells the media bluntly to \u201cget off his back\u201d since they have done nothing to support him throughout his career. He attributes his success to his own \u00a0hard work and the support he receives from his fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cListen I\u2019m a poor boy coming from the street, all I have is my fans and the flows on the beat. Obi firi ne kurom bey\u00e9 biribia y\u00e9 hu no huge, we are looking for superstars but we still sleeping on fuse, how? That\u2019s international,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Sarkodie, whose resentment is apparent in his tone throughout the song condemns the opinions of panelists on television entertainment review shows describing their comments as \u201csilly views.\u201d<\/p>\n

He challenges the media to put their money where their mouth is, adding that \u00a0entertainment show panellists who accuse him of not performing on bigger platforms, should themselves aspire to host shows on big platforms such as MTV.<\/p>\n

\u201cI go through the stress and you still have the guts to tell me I perform for cleaners, blacks, what the f**k is wrong with you. I did it on my own,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

He questions why no representative from the Ghanaian media accompanied him to the BET Awards when he was nominated for an award but rather chose to stay in Ghana and tweet their views from their homes.<\/p>\n

In the concluding part of his song, Sarkodie turns his anger on event organisers who engage artistes for shows, pay them very little money, and turn round to accuse artistes of putting out low quality videos.<\/p>\n

But in an interview with Sarkodie\u2019s manager, Sammy Forson, he predcictably rallies to the support of his artiste \u00a0by saying that \u00a0the issues Sarkodie raise in his song were not peculiar to Sarkodie alone but it was a general problem faced by most artistes in the country.<\/p>\n

He explained that the song was not targeted only at the negative elements in the media. He said that Sarkodie was not \u00a0trying to pick a fight with the media but rather he was being blunt and letting the media know his \u00a0views.<\/p>\n

\u201cArtistes are creative people and so derive their energies from the environment in which they reside, so if all they face is constant negativity it becomes hard for them to continue with their work,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

He questioned why some elements in the media did not seek clarification from Sarkodie or other artistes whenever they had rumors about artistes but instead rush to publish these as facts.<\/p>\n

Sammy Forson compared the situation in Ghana to what pertains in Nigeria where, he said, the media throw their weight behind local artists and asked the Ghanaian media to emulate that example.<\/p>\n

Graphic Showbiz reached out to some entertainment media personalities to ask their thoughts on the issue.<\/p>\n

Blogger, Ameyaw Debrah described Sarkodie as one of the artistes who has received the most support from the media but he admitted that although Sarkodie raises some genuine concerns in his song, the manner of expressing his views paints the entire Ghanaian media in a bad light. He was of the opinion that Sarkodie could have been more specific since there were certain elements in the media who had supported him constantly throughout his career.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe manner in which he expresses himself in that song leaves much to be desired because if he feels that the media is not doing enough to support him and his fellow artistes, he could have made this known in a much better way, \u201che said.<\/p>\n

Reacting to Sarkodie r\u2019s complaint that Ghanaian media did not \u00a0attend the BET Awards to cover the event, Ameyaw Debrah questioned why he would raise such a point.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe BET Awards is just like any other show or event that will come and go so why should it be of any significance? \u00a0A journalist being there does not add anything to his credentials, there is no point in paying for a flight all the way to the US just to cover it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Popular entertainment writer, Francis Doku was the opinion that Sarkodie in trying to express his opinion about the media went overboard, describing the comments about Ghanaian media not being at the BET Awards as \u201cpushing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no reason Sarkodie should say a journalist or reporter should be physically present at an event before he can comment on it. Does this mean anyone who comments on a football match should also be present at the stadium?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Francis Doku said that although Sarkodie might have some legitimate concerns about the attitude of the media towards artistes he should not appear to be looking for a war with the media adding that irrespective of criticism from the media, he still had the media to thank for his current success.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny that he should title his song free press, because that is the same principle the media he criticizes are also working with. He is free to express himself but he could have done that in a more decorous manner,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Sarkodie real name, Michael Owusu Addo, is a multiple award winning hip life artiste who has worked with some of the biggest names in the Ghanaian music industry. He is the first Ghanaian rapper to win the BET Award for the \u201cBest International Act (Africa) and has performed on some of the biggest international platforms with international artistes like Jay-Z, T-pain, Chipmunk among others.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Source: Graphic Online<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With his newest single released last week titled Free Press, Sarkodie seems to have gone the full distance in throwing insults at the media in Ghana. He takes the media to the cleaners in a way that perhaps no Ghanaian artist has ever done, not even Shatta Wale, DKB or Bull Dog. In his song, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":14084,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[6],"yoast_head":"\nGet off my back! \u2014 Sarkodie slams media - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. 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