SARKODIE’S JAMZ ALBUM: A FALSE REALITY BY A LEGEND

By: Abeiku Arhin Tsiwah

I have listened to Sarkodie’s JAMZ album for as much as I should with an opened mind and patience as it matters.

For the past five days, I disregarded every other music album and the number of thousands of hours of playlists on my Apple music, simply, because I dedicated the hours of the five days to listen and pay critical attention to the Ghanaian and Africa’s foremost rap legend’s album.

My listening plan is always scheduled into four phases for a day: early morning (as I go through my 5:30-7am), mid morning (during break from work), 5pm (after work) and 10pm (when retiring to bed).

For a ten (10) album track which translates into 35 minutes in total listening session, following my regular routine of listening to music, I have immersed myself more in this album far more and can confidently make my personal observation and mini analysis without any undue stunt of criticism.

First, out of the ten (10) songs on the album; there are only three really good songs: Country Side (featuring Black Sheriff), One Million Cedis (featuring Ink Boy) and Over Me (featuring Cina Soul). These have fantastic production quality, sweet melodies, engrossing enigmatic lyrics, and particularly with Country Side, that track gives so much goosebumps at every listening moment.

JAMZ is specific in direction as it is meant for a much younger audience. This is noticeable as Sarkodie went all out featuring some of the most interesting and excellent younger folks on the album. That should instinctively give the listener the direction of the album.

There is no suitable way to describe the album with a perceived inclination of being for a much younger audience who like to jam to tunes that have danceable flavors and feel as rather failing to achieve that intention.

Unless you are a newbie to Sarkodie’s body of works you won’t notice the huge gap of lyrical weaknesses and spasmodic sound quality dotted throughout this project. This is straightforwardly the best way to assess Sarkodie as an aging wine that doesn’t taste as better as it should. For better choice of words, this aging wine is more sour and lesser rich in taste than one would ever imagine of an old wine.

There are far too less Sarkological ingredients in the project such that at every point in time you’re prompted to ask yourself if it is songs of other young artists featuring Sarkodie to get a glimpse of the limelight delicacy.

I have always respected Sarkodie especially as a rapper and his team for the promotional direction and the sensational commerciality that is usually attached to his projects. That is one exceptional brand quality of Sarkodie. Howbeit, in this particular album they (King Sark and his team) didn’t factor in much attention towards that reality.

The fact that they didn’t capitalize on that Black Sheriff’s feature, inarguably the best Midas touch on the entire album, to make this paraglide soothingly through the promotional slopes makes me wonder what exactly could have been their ace plan for this project.

Much as I will always go extreme to listen to Sarkodie’s music and rotate it through and thorough for the best of punchlines, creative metaphorical inclinations and idealistic sarcasms; this JAMZ album in my best opinion a lowered attempt in its direction and purpose.

Without mincing words, this scores a 5/10 on the rating scale as it is too false to be a towering legend like Sarkodie’s album.

Simply stipulated, JAMZ is a declining cult cut to appease a hyper fanbase.

Abeiku Arhin Tsiwah is a Ghanaian Smartphone Enthusiast, Content Critic and Creative Writer.