TALES OF A ROAD BOY FROM KONONGO: 411 OF THE VILLAIN I NEVER WAS BY BLACK SHERIF
His debut is rich in lyricism, emotions, and a pack of memories he shares with the world. The dark, toxic, and different personas he assumes in the songs are grass-to-grace stories
For anyone that has followed me and my writing over the years, you would know I barely get excited about rappers and when I do, it feels very fitting. That is how I feel about Ghana’s newest world star Black Sheriff. I was first introduced to Blacko in 2020 when I heard “Money”. I would later come to admire the person, understand his story and then proceed to love his music. His biggest selling factor which has aided his rise to the top is his backstory and how he captures that in his songs. After his first stint with ‘Money’, he would get a bigger shot at stardom in 2021 with his song ‘First Sermon”. He would go on to release a second sermon and a remix with Burna Boy which would see his stocks rise even higher. A year down the line, several awards won and international nominations bagged, Black Sheriff would outdoor his debut album ‘The Villain I Never Was”. Let us delve into the project.
I have always been a preacher of albums having a very good direction which was nicely done by Blacko and his team. The first two songs Kwaku the Traveller and Soja now fall into perspective when you listen to them again in the album. Blacko’s writing is heavy on his experiences, background, pain, struggles, and the highs and lows he faced so far in his life and career. If there was ever a time, he would give us an insight into his life; this is the time that makes the title of the album more interesting. ‘The Villain I Never Was’ gives off two meanings. One alludes to the darkness he faced in his life which has not succumbed to and the other is the bad guy people have made him out to be which he is not. He makes this album a platform in which he shares his side of the story and clears all doubts that may be about him and claims of him being ungrateful or bad.
Blacko in my view is arguably one of the best storytellers we have currently. His ability to paint images of whatever he is talking about in his music in the listener’s head is an amazing skill to possess. His voice, delivery, and emotions in his voice sink deep into your head, you are easily hooked on what he is talking about. The album is like a collection of stories that gives a detailed account of the rough, high, and dark moments he faced in his very young life. There is also the appreciation, celebration, and realization of the blessings he has received thus far.
Music has always been an outlet and coping mechanism for the artiste which he has said in several interviews and tweets over the years. The experiences he shares in songs like 45, Soja, Kwaku The Traveller, and The Homeless Song speak to the struggles he is faced with. Depression, self-doubt, pain, and faith-building are expressed throughout these songs. He talks about the anxiety he faces which is very understandable because enjoying the success he is enjoying at this age comes with a lot of pressure from within, around, and with other people he does not know directly. Making music in these parts of the world has a high level of uncertainty and you somehow start getting a load of attention and success. There is a lot of pressure from all sorts of people, some that genuinely want to see you succeed and those that are closely watching your every move hoping you fail. The pressure gets to him so much he begins to feel insecure among many other things. “I don't feel okay, my heart is beating so fast.” Regardless of the pressures and what what what, he will keep going and is prepared to stand firm to enjoy success. He recognizes the Oil that is on his head and it is this oil that will cause his music and him to travel all over. While he appreciates the oil that runs over his head, he remains aware of the evil eyes that lurk around which he prays are sent away.
He sets himself up in songs like Prey Da Youngster, and Sad Boys Don’t Fold as an example for young people to be courageous and keep their heads up. The fierceness in his delivery and genuine outpour gives a very assuring feeling which touches home for me and I like to believe other young people. He talks about self-love in 45 which is a very important message. Many of us are so concerned about others and what they think about us so much we fail to do the most basic form of love which is to love ourselves. If you are a Christian, you will agree that the bible tells us we cannot even love our neighbour properly if we do not know how to love ourselves properly. While he encourages us to love ourselves, he comes off as someone who is no longer concerned about what others think about him because at this point the only thing he is concerned about is securing the bag. I agree with that school of thought because at some point you have to tell people to focus on their focus and leave you to do what you want to do.
In songs like Konongo Zongo, Wasteman, and We Up we travel to Blacko’s childhood and place of birth Konongo Zongo. He starts the song by giving thanks to God for what he currently and in the subsequent lines he gives an insight into why he gives thanks to God in the opening of that song. He tells us how he had to strive harder just to have a career, and how his actions which were aimed at giving himself and his family a good life were misconstrued as being disobedient behaviour so much that his actions vexed those at home. ‘cause it's do or die where I'm from Kwaku the Black Sheep no dey give up no way. I run from house to chase the guala, my Jigga’
It is this upbringing in Konongo that has hardened him so much he only keeps to himself. One would assume he is overplaying this story of the hardships he faced in his childhood but if you’re presented with two options as a young person to make it or die trying, it builds you to a point where you become cold and prone to becoming the villain in someone else’s story. In Wasteman and We up where he shares scores of people, he has seen turn to the other side where they ended up being wasted has built him up. He realizes that the same people you confined in may be the very same people leading you to the wasteland and it is up to you to wake yourself up and make things happen for you. He talks of how people are quick to throw you away once they have no use for you because where he is from, it is only those with money who get shown love. It is this realization that has woken him up in We Up. Said man ah solo hunter big cat On a solo run no chit chat. He would rather take his chances alone than be in a place where he one slip would see people turn on him and cast him aside. On God I trust no man. I lost few mandem to the game. I was close to my grave I fell in a trap. But you know man don't stay down
The next three songs on the album take a very lovely yet dark turn. I have always considered Blacko an emotional artiste but I did not imagine a day when I would hear him open up about an affair like this. It is not every day you get to hear hard guys speak up on their relationships but here is Sheriff pouring it all out. For everything he had been through one would think love would be kind to him but the game is the game. The only other rapper I know that could body a song like this would be Kwesi Arthur and Post Malone who have a way of being emotional on a trap beat like this. The melodies laced on this song, the ad libs, and the lyricism is one of the best on the project. We always talk about the highs when it comes to relationships and forget about the doubts and fears that come with love. He opens the song with will you only be here for the high days? When the sweet times are over are you gonna stay? He has been through a lot of moments where he lost people to the game, he is worried about losing this girl to the game. The fear of being left alone when it matters the most continues to linger in his head which pushes him to question the girl. He does not necessarily doubt her for him but for what it’s worth he is just asking for reassurance. After all, one of love’s languages is words of affirmation which is what Blacko needs. You can bring me back to life with just a word. I need those fake assurances, e dey keep me very sane. No one should be made to have to question someone’s love for them but if you have been through what he has been through, you would always question if the care and attention you’re getting from your partner is genuine. It gets more emotional when he does the one thing most people are afraid to do, letting someone know the power they have over you. It is for this reason he needs those fake affirmations because he has seen so much pain, he would rather stay in a toxic relationship than go through the pain of living without those fake affirmations.
Don’t Forget Me and Oh Paradise are his attempts at healing and living on the memories of the times he experienced love in its genuine form. Many people understand that tomorrow is never promised and like Blacko would want to live in the moment enjoying everything as they happen in real-time before both parties go their separate ways. Let's make some memories girl. I don't know when a man is gonna see you again. I don't know when I'm leaving but it's not too far from today. Again, if you have been through what he has been through you would understand why he wants to make memories with the ones you love while they are in your life.
In Oh Paradise, we see Blacko’s need for making memories play out. He talks about how he loses his first love to the cold hands of death. Anytime someone sings about losing a loved one to death, I always go back to Maayaa’s Ensu. Black Sheriff may not be crying, but you can feel the pain and hurt in his voice. I must admit the beat has a groovy feel to it which I boogied to a few times but anytime I am booging it hits me that this song is some form of elegy from Black Sheriff to his first love.
In conclusion, Black Sheriff has an unconventional approach to his craft. From his looks to his sound, he comes off as very different and wild. But as he said in a tweet sometime back shown below, we need to allow the young man to grow.
I must admit there have been moments when I asked what sound he is making because he has this blend of trap, drill, highlife, reggae, and as pointed out by a friend hiplife. For some, listening to all these different sounds may be too much for you which is valid but then, this is the best way for him to express himself. You may not agree with his methods but you cannot deny the rich artistry he depicts in his music. His debut is rich in lyricism, emotions, and a pack of memories he shares with the world. The dark, toxic, and different personas he assumes in the songs are grass-to-grace stories with the key elements based on himself and his experiences. His confidence, cadence, and technique are unique. Off the top of my head, I do not think anyone has the same likeness. They may be glimpses of other artistes in his music from time to time but that is just a reflection of the various influences he has had over time. He may not be the Villain others make him out to be or he feels he is, but the contents of this album give a clear understanding of why he may come off as a villain. You can stream the album HERE.