Sarkodie’s ‘Try Me’ Song: When a role model stoop so low to disrespect womanhood

“Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners. A girl should be two things: who and what she wants. A woman brought you into this world, so you have no right to disrespect one. Men who love their mothers treat women wonderfully”.

My mother always tells me one thing: “if you become successful in life and for some reasons you don’t want to help me as your mother, do me just one favor. Never beat or insult any woman, whether you are married to her or not. Respect every woman because I am your mother and I am also a woman.”

The advice from my mom has lived with me for many years and each time I have issues with any girl or lady, I think about what my mother asked me to do, and I am careful what I say or do.

Respecting womanhood is something very important to me and all my brothers because it’s our mother’s wish that we respect womanhood and for me, I think strongly it’s the right and wisest thing for any decent and well-cultured man to do. Don’t get me wrong, I am not perfect. But respecting woman is something I try to do most of the time if not all of the time.

So it breaks my heart sometimes when I hear a man – especially one who should know better and behave right – insults a woman.

I woke up this morning to a track from Sarkodie in response to actress Yvonne Nelson’s recent book, ‘I Am Not Yvonne Nelson’. On any other day, I would have ignored the track. But with the song coming from Sarkodie – a rapper I have respected so much over the years – I decided to listen to the song titled, ‘Try Me’ and hear what he had to say. From the title, I knew all wasn’t right. But I still tried to listen. After the first few lines, I became very disappointed. The rapper I have respected so much, the BET Awards winner, could not control his anger and has decided to wage war against womanhood, insulting Yvonne Nelson, and reducing her to a woman who belongs to the streets, a whore. Very pathetic.

And I must state sincerely that Sarkodie’s response to the book was way below the belt and very disrespectful to womanhood. If such a response was coming from any other artist, probably it wouldn’t have been much of an issue to me. But from Sarkodie? No. It’s way below the belt.

I don’t think a musician of Sarkodie’s stature or any man held in high esteem for that matter, should insult a woman the way he did simply because she accused him in her book of impregnating her and forcing her to abort the pregnancy in 2010. I mean, listening to ‘Try Me’, I wondered if Sarkodie was the one really rapping.

Yvonne in her book clearly spoke out of pain from how Sarkodie allegedly treated her back in 2010 and his song has done nothing to ease her pain but rather to worsen it. At one point in the song, he claimed he was praying for her to get the healing she needs. At another point, he was insulting, calling her a whore who has slept with so many men and sucked “dicks”. Wow. Is this truly the Sarkodie I have respected for years? Taking to rap to further hurt a woman who is simply grieving from how you allegedly treated her in the past? Come on, Sarkodie. This doesn’t suit you, Chairman. You have a big brand. We just don’t listen to your songs. We have attached so much respect to your brand over the years. But you simply disappointed us all. Was it really necessary to insult Yvonne? Why did you choose to hurt her publicly with all these insults? Don’t you think you have shown your real colors with this so-called ‘Try Me’ track? Why do you want to clap back at a woman? Why do you want to fight a woman? What will you do if Yvonne tries you? Insult her the more? How do you feel about your daughter listening to you insulting a woman?

Sarkodie, Yvonne’s tweets in response to your track clearly showed she has been really hurt once again. Very bad from a rapper like you whom I have had so much respect for.

I sincerely believe you (Sarkodie) could have handled the situation with some degree of maturity. You could have done better. You could have still clarified issues and express your pain for being accused without insulting the way you did. A musician of your kind should not fall for the temptation of picking a microphone to come out with a song only to insult a woman who seems to be in love with you despite all the alleged pains you put her through in time past.

To many people in Ghana, you (Sarkodie) have been seen as a role model over the years. But your ‘Try Me’ song for me, is nothing but a sad case of a role model like yourself stooping so low to disrespect womanhood.

I strongly hold the view that a role model must always be a role model and womanhood must always be respected no matter the situation we find ourselves in as men. Sarkodie, you should try and do better next time. This ‘Try Me’ Track is a no no for me.

About the author:

By Melvin Tarlue
The writer, Melvin Tarlue, is an entertainment and business journalist

writer’s email: tarluemelvin12@gmail.com