SARKODIE RAPPERHOLIC ALBUM REVIEW

  

                    ALBUM REVIEW: SARKODIE RAPPERHOLIC
                                           BY: J. KWEKU DOH

rapperholic Album Art

Sarkodie, hands down; is the leader of the new school, no two ways about that. It wouldn’t be wrong therefore if I referred to his second studio opus, Rapperholic as a modern day hip-life classic. Its lyrical content and production might not match up to a classic such as Obrafuor’s Tofa, however, in this modern day’s hip-life scene where artists only make singles for a name, it is refreshing to know that at least a few still believe in putting together complete, and I mean complete albums.

With the release of his landmark debut “Makye”, most people expected the young rapper to get caught up in the sophomore slump that often characterizes the career of most artists after very successful debut efforts. However, Sarkodie proves why he could be regarded as the most prolific among the new breed of hip-life acts.

Witty lines, clever wordplay, humor, delivery, braggadocio, and a pack of conversational storytelling, Rapperholic has Sarkodie celebrating success, chronicling the difficult road from grass to grace, asserting his faith in God, stressing the essence of perseverance, staying true to who you are, dreams and wishful thinking, addressing the many problems of love, and of course the ever changing faces of life that an individual goes through. With a pack of guest spots on every of the 18 songs on the album except the Intro Word of God and the Kemenya produced Faces of Life, the album has guest acts both local and international delivering hooks or verses with Sarkodie rapping, rapping, and rapping. Will you blame him for that? The album is called Rapperholic, a name that suggests an individual who is addicted to rapping.

Opening with a church hymnal, Word of God has Sarkodie asserting his faith and reverence to God. In the past, we have witnessed him use God in making fun on several of his mix tapes, but in this case, he declares the hand of God as the pivot of his career and clearly affirms that he would not have a life without God. His love for God happens to be thematic throughout the album as he never ceases to praise God any moment the need arises.

Back in the day, we all will troop in to buy an Obrafuor album anytime it is out. This is because his albums are always made up of wise sayings and advice for us all. It seems Sarkodie is the new hip-life act doing what Obrafuor used to do. And I will not be wrong if I said Sarkodie has taken over from where Obrafuor left.

On the album’s second track “Saa Okodie No” which features Obrafuor, the young rapper declares, “From the Executioner, to me myself and I, it’s a Coup D’etat”. It is an established fact that any time Sarkodie and Obrafuor pair up on a song, we always have a classic. Check the song “Life” on Sarkodie’s debut or “Hiplife (In this Life)” on Obrafuor’s Asem Beba Dabi. The story is no different on this Hammer produced cut. Obrafuor assisted with a hook while Sarkodie boasts as to why he remains the best among the current breed of hip-lifers. Obrafuor as always delivers on the hook; trust the “Rap Sofuor” to deliver on any day. No wonder Sarkodie declares Pae Mu Ka as the best hiplife album of all time. You are sure to keep repeating this song as it happens to be the most outstanding on the album.

Love is one thing every individual goes through in this life at one point or the other. Sarkodie is no exception as he discusses many love related topics on several songs in the album. With contradictory stories though, one will realize that some of the stories are not those of his personal experiences but then issues of love that is found in society. The adeptness with which he discusses these topics shows the true storyteller Sarkodie is. The Efya assisted Am in Love with You, Odo Menkoaa with Kwabena Kwabena, Mani Dawoso featuring Kwaw Kesse, even the E.L assisted party song U Go Kill Me and others all discuss the issue of love from many angles.

Sarkodie goes on an imaginative grandeur living on the song When I Grow Up featuring Nigerian Heavyweight Ikechukwu. He describes dreams and wishful thinking he used to have as a kid and how he has transformed most of those dreams into reality. “Ma change motorway ato no Sarkodie Street” can you imagine that? Not only does he make boastful claims, he advises that every dream has a price you pay for it to come true. This depicts his believe in hard work and sacrifice, a requirement for your dreams to come true. He shares more advice on friendship and life in general on cuts such as Friends featuring Jayso and Rell and Faces of Life.

As much as Sarkodie proves himself as a rock solid rapper, it is important to note that, the too many features on the album undermine his ability as a complete musician. The album practically has features on every song with some acts appearing twice. An impeccable rap album is one that has the rapper delivering both on hooks and verses with less guest appearances. Consider that Obrafuor is able to juggle between rapping and singing most of his hooks, one will expect that Sarkodie at least performs most of the hooks on this album, but this is not so. The too many features results in contradictory subjects and recurrent themes. It leaves the album hanging without a central theme and one may conclude that, it is just a collection of songs as most of the songs were hits even before he released the album.

Beat making and music  production in Ghana is a big problem; though the album could boast of beautiful melodies as the Kaywa produced Onyame Ehyira No, Saa Okodie No which is produced by Hammer and the E.L produced U Go Kill Me, the other cuts on the album do not have much ingenuity when it comes to the beats. Gone are the days when a Hammer instrumentation or a Zapp Mallet production could have melodies ringing in your head all the time.

Twitter: @Jkwekudoh                        Facebook: Julius Kweku Doh