REVIEW OF OMAR STERLING’S ‘WINNERS’ - THE 19TH TRACK OF THE 18 TRACKS ‘VICTORY THROUGH HARMONY’ MIXTAPE
By: Keziah Anani and Justice Hesse
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| Photo of R2Bees Music recording rapper Omar Sterling, alias Paedae The President, performing at a show Photo credit: Anonymous |
Society fundamentally determines what we do and think. Over millenniums, poetry as an artistic machinery has significantly influenced the perceptions people have held and continue to hold of reality or the world.
The story is not different with Rhythmic African Poetry: RAP, as has been commonly referred to. Rap always conveys a sermon, subtly or obviously, even though on some occasions the messenger (rapper) may be in oblivion of what is being conveyed, really.
Generally, a lot of people often act in ways that align with a kind of worldview without even realising that they ascribe to that. Many who also profess some kind of worldview struggle to convincingly express their thoughts about it. This here, if you ask me, is what essentially distinguishes a conscious person from their peers.
Conscious artistes intentionally niche themselves on a pedestal of proficient awareness creation and impartation of knowledge. For them, it is hugely about enlightening their audience, usually influenced by their personal scope of understanding on some theme(s). This is exactly what Ghanaian rapper Omar Sterling has demonstrated through his enviably charismatic and victorious career.
Some four years after releasing his debut whole-bodied solo project titled ‘Victory Through Harmony’ (VTH), the rapper, also known as “Paedae, The President” has dropped a three minute and thirty-one second masterpiece dubbed ‘Winners’ some weeks now; 13th April, 2020, to be exact. This happens to be the R2Bees Music recording artiste’s first solo joint in a long while.
Listen to ‘Winners’
Yes, it has been four years since its release but heads that paid fair attention to the VTH mixtape should easily notice the immense similarity between the mixtape and the ‘Winners’ track. The track which comes off as a freestyle actually seems like a thematic summary of the narrative sold by the VTH mixtape. You could poetically infer that the 2020 dated ‘Winners’ piece is the nineteenth track of the eighteen tracks mixtape that was released in 2016.
‘Winners’ is a masterpiece produced by Afrolektra and served over an unhurried and moderately relaxed cadence that readily hints the craftsman’s objective to ensure that his message is effectively communicated with optimum clarity. The overwhelming positive responses from social media pointed to the observation that indeed, Mr. President had earned a perfect score on the account of clarity. He did well to excel at this while impressively weaving this delightful rhythmic fabric of knowledge with artistic threads of rhymes, metaphors, entendres and more.
The spoken word -esque rap track takes of with a simple and limpid hook seductively knitted with a scheme of rhyme, appealing enough to actively drag every passive ear into the chambers of rapt attention. The hook principally highlights the title of the piece as it depicts a narrative of never-ceasing pleasurable pursuit of success beyond an already attained height of success at some present time, regardless of the rules of society one may have to break while at it. Omar Sterling’s state of mind regarding success and as revealed in his crafts, including ‘Winners’ is one that portrays the rapper one who takes delight in seeing his friends win as much as he wins. This is actually consistent with his mindset as expressed on previous works and on social media:
“What’s better than everybody winning, everybody won.
That’s the mindset of the people from where I’m from.
You can only win if your friends win some.”
- Track 13, Every Beat Then E Rap / Shanga, VTH Mixtape (2016)
Victory through harmony all of us got to win.
Slowly at the top, all my friends have to flourish
- ‘Death Before Dishonour’ (2018)
Going forward, the subject of Paedae’s spirituality and worldview principally themed his sermon in the verses that followed. The rhythmic poetry further sought to inspire the urge to rebuild hope and strength to surge on through the rubbles of a pursuit or life. This, coupled with the intentional effort to impress a consciousness of self worth or self love on the audience, prices the craftsmanship of ‘Winners’ with a tag of invaluable repute on the shelf of inspirational masterpieces.
Again, Mr. Sterling took to ‘Winners’ to drop some knowledge but the rapper who is “married to the game, put words together, nice wording”, to ensure that his audience are served their usual honey sweet delight.
The first verse took off with an interesting expression that appears to be recurrent in his works and hence worth considering.
“I send you love, I send you light”
- Winners (2020)
“Greetings young kings and queens...
I send you love, I send you light
I wanna share this message with you
This enlightenment has elevated my soul”
- Track 18 titled VTH, VTH Mixtape (2016)
The rapper’s consistent employment of this expression is not to be reckoned as a mere repetition of lines. There is an observed trend to this, really. In all the instances that he has used this expression, he has done so by way of salutation. Additionally, this has often heralded some form of enlightenment. In VTH, this salutation heralded the enlightenment of his audience on what he described as the four agreements that elevated his soul in his life and dreams’ pursuit.
The narrative was not entirely different in ‘Winners’, as the awareness he sought to create on the joint incidentally commenced shortly after rendering his salutation by way of the expression in focus. It could as well be inferred that, to the rapper, empowering his audience with knowledge through his rap is a symbolic gesture of sending them light. Consequently, the repeatedly concurrent use of light and love in that expression infers that the rap president regards the enlightening of his audience with knowledge and inspiration as a gesture of love. Well, he definitely showed much love with this track.
Paedae The President sleekly eulogised his dexterity, artistic presence and longevity in Ghana’s rap scene with artful puns and rhymes before introducing the struggles of a pretty young girl, her mother and four other siblings in a picture that features the absenteeism of a father. While the rap makes reference to a young girl named Abena in the second verse, it is unclear whether Abena is the same girl being referred to in the first verse. Nonetheless, what is clear is the observation that, the character being referred to in both verses may not necessarily point to a particular person or gender, rather, it is representative of a subjective experience. In that, the experiences narrated in these verses disrobes the vulnerabilities of people in a manner that allows anyone listening to easily relate them to their individual experiences.
In painting that picture of struggle, he goes on to drop a narrative that sneakily hints his snide impression about the relevance of prayer to humans in moments of dire need. In his story, this young girl believes it is God who fends for humans and not humans themselves. She also remarks that breath of life is all that matters and not money. The rapper narrated this portion in a local dialect.
“Every Sunday they go to church and praise Jesus Christ.
She said "Nyame na ɛhwɛ nnipa, ɛnyɛ nnipa. Nkwa yɛ biibia nyɛ sika", nso girl that's right
Baby girl that's right, the high is for the low so she took that flight
The reference to the phrase, “the high is for the low” is inferentially comparable to the dictum, “Religion is the opium for the masses”, attributed to German philosopher and economist, Karl Marx. To wit that, prayer is but a benumbing placebo and hence only confers a temporary conditioning that numbs one against the heat of their problems, rather than solving them. Omar Sterling has always been clear about his take on this bit of spirituality. He believes that the solutions to the problems of humans lie within humans, rather than in the concept of a big guy up in the sky.
The rapper, known in real life as Hakeem Faisal, admitted in an interview to shying away from conversations that curiously probe his spirituality or worldview as he perceives the subject to be a rather sensitive one. However, he has consistently engaged the subject on a number of occasions, both in and outside the booth. Thus, through his music, on social media and in interview sessions; doing so with lucid expressiveness.
“I never pray, I meditate, listen to the universe on a daily base”
- ‘Winners’ (2020)
“Port side hustlers,...
Nii maame Banku saved our lives, not Yesu, and we pray too”
- Track 13, “Every Beat Den E Rap / Shanga”, VTH Mixtape (2016)
“My aunty going through the same thing that happened my mama
Pray to God for intervention
He ain't said a word in ma mention”
- Track 18, VTH, VTH Mixtape (2016)
WATCH: Omar Sterling talks about his spirituality in an interview with ace presenter Bola Ray on Starr FM, Accra, Ghana
Among the items that Paedae has been consistently expressive about is the need for one to bear a valuable worth of him or herself against the opinions of society. The character of Abena is built in the light of one whose impression of herself is heavily built by the opinions and validation of society even though she is amazingly beautiful, both within and in stature. Abena is that person who is drowned in an oceanic fear created by their numerous insecurities. As stated earlier, Abena is appears to only typify a subjective experience. Her vulnerabilities are therefore relatable to the experiences of the varying audience of ‘Winners’.
As the nineteenth track of the eighteen tracks VTH mixtape, Abena as depicted in ‘Winners’ appears synonymous to “Ama” as featured in ‘Bright City Lights’, off the VTH mixtape. A quick look at the following excerpts illustrates this.
“I'm at loggerheads with my best friend
She didn't post me, she knows, i'm tryna be known, nobody knows me
She owes me, my insecurities live with me closely, pretty soon they will expose me
These are words from Abena, a pretty young girl
Beautiful in and out but boy, she can't tell
Depends on public opinion to survive and she read in a magazine that beauty sells
Why so insecure, you look amazing”
- ‘Winners’ (2020)
“It really sad Ama thinks she ain't pretty
Just 'cos her Instagram likes are just a few
Look at you, are you serious? Just look at you
You are the being beautiful, I bet you never knew”
- Track 5, “Bright City Lights”, VTH mixtape (2016)
Another characteristic feature of the Site 15 rapper is the fact that he always takes to his craft to spur his audience onto believing in themselves and pursuing their dreams unwaveringly. The story was not different with ‘Winners’. The rapper does well to present these words of encouragement in very relatable terms by presenting the struggles he had to endure on his way to the top. His victory, in spite of the vulnerabilities he has had to deal with, strongly compels a person into believing that, that which seems impossible is actually possible. Pursue your dream with all it takes but remain patient while at it. That’s basically the vibe.
“Chase your dreams, it's worth chasing but be patient, this life, eno be racing”
- ‘Winners’ (2020)
This track is certainly one that births many Kalitos as referenced in Mr. Sterling’s rap. This is because this song is bound to be an inspiration to a lot of its audience if not all.
“Big big shoutouts to my bro Kalito,
He said "Mr. Sterling, you are my hero.
...the things your raps do to me I fvcking can't explain"
- ‘Winners’ (2020)
Confidently, Omar Sterling is definitely a hero to many in this regard.
We must add that what we do not seek is to claim that this review is exhaustive in itself because the artistic depths and wealth of this track is literally inexhaustible. We however hope it has been worth the read.
Listen to ‘Winners’
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