Video: ‘Rapper 101’ not targeted at anyone, just witty take on industry – M.anifest

Rapper M.anifest has rubbished suggestions that his latest piece, ‘Rapper 101’, is a jab at some artistes in the music industry.

According to him, the song, released on Sunday, is just a witty take on happenings in the Ghanaians music space.

Some have argued that the song rubs salt on the wounds resulting from his beef fellow rapper, Sarkodie, M.anifest noted strongly that ‘Rapper 101’ is not personal.

“It’s a tongue in cheek as to what it takes keep appearances, basically we become slaves to this thing called the brand or what we think is required for us to be a rapper…”

“I thought it will be interesting – instead of doing something serious – to have a humorous take on that and if you can’t make fun of yourself you can’t take life too seriously,” the ‘B.E.AR’ rapper said.

M.anifest explained that even “in the third verse, I mock myself,” saying people meet him and ask to take pictures with him and if he is not wearing beads, they are disappointed.

‘Rapper 101’, he stressed, is “just a witty take on how to be a rapper these days” in Ghana.

“I cast a wide net…it’s a blanket statement…it’s a satirical take on the industry, not on a person,” the rapper, born Kwame Ametepee Tsikata noted.

“I think Ghanaians have a weak stomach for satire because we like to take things very literally,” M.anifest explained.

Stressing that he is a fearless artiste, he noted that if he wanted to mention the name of any artiste, he would have done so in the song because “I am known to be able to mention people’s names.”

He noted that “Part of being an artiste is to be very daring and to be able to actually create the conversation by sometimes being divisive…” He said he will not be bothered by people’s interpretation of his work.