[ 2014-03-01 ]

Asem's fan attempts to save the rapper from a big blow
I received an interesting email from one of Asem's
fan about a certain article in the Graphic Showbiz
concerning the controversial hit song, 'Give me
Blow'. The disgruntled fan write:

In recent times a controversy seems to have risen
about one of the greatest artistes in our
downtrodden industry ASEM concerning the joint
that incidentally shot him to fame, “Give me
blow”. The controversy seems to have been
stirred up by an article in the Graphic Showbiz of
26th February, titled 'Axe hangs over Asem's
song.'

In the article the writer makes references to the
fact that the original version of the track
contains certain profanities specifically in the
Twi hook “fa wo twedie wo wiem.” First of all,
that assertion is totally wrong. It is important
that we are clear on what is considered as
explicit content and suggestive content. Music is
universal and many people lend different meanings
to certain lyrics that they hear on tracks. Music
with suggestive content is not necessarily
profane. It only means that people lend different
meaning s to its content.



When Asem says, “Give me blow” and he goes on
to add “fa wo twedie wo wiem,” which happens
to be a translation of the previous line into Akan
lingua.As such the issue of profanity here is
subject to one's own interpretation. I don't agree
therefore with the writer's notion that the track
was profane. After all there are no other lyrics
in the track that can be said to be profane.
However people seem to read their own meanings
into the track and perhaps this prompted ASEM to
remake the song.



On the re-mix the writer adds that Asem mentions
'blow' in reference to oral sex. Asem has always
proven to be a responsible and matured artiste and
he duly released an edited radio version of the
track to be played on air and that's what has
received heavy rotation on the airwaves. Every dj
therefore is expected to have the edited version
which of course has no profanity in it. Fellow
listeners will bear with me that the 'give me
blow' remix version played on radio that we all
gyrate to, has no profanity in it. Any avid
follower of the music scene in Ghana would agree
with me that even the move to release a radio edit
was a laudable one and one of the very few times
an artiste has taken the time to give the right
kind of material for airplay.



Besides here is an artiste responsible for
churning out intuitive and inspiring tracks such
as 'obra' and 'odo yi wohe' and it would therefore
be shortsighted on the part of the GMA to penalize
him for doing a happy-go-lucky song. Again the
article stated that 'if they [GMA] follow their
own tradition they would not put out asem's track
for nomination,' and go on to cite instances three
years ago when Samini was affected by criticism of
“Linda” but lets take a trip down memory
lane.



As early as last year, Kwaw kesse's 'odeim' which,
in comparison can also be said to contain profane
and suggestive content was nominated for “song
of the year'. Again Daddy Lumba's 'tokrom' another
joint with explicit and suggestive content was not
only nominated for Highlife album of the year but
the organizers also felt that it merited
nomination for album of the year and so did Kwaw
kesse's which contained such songs as “odeim'
amongst others.



Daddy Lumber's 'Aben woha' though heavily
criticized at the time for supposedly being
outrageously explicit by a session of the public,
was not only nominated but went on to win the
award for 'song of the year.' Let no body get me
wrong, I'm in no way trying to justify profanity
in our music, in fact I believe it is a step in
the right direction to sanitize our music, but
let's be circumspect in doing so. In 2007 Samini
was affected because 'Linda' was seen to be
profane and of course the Mzbel saga are all cases
in point, but again there is the need to be clear
on what constitutes profane content especially
where a radio edit has been released.



In any case the decision as always rests in the
hands of the selection panel who I believe have
the experience and the know how to make the right
decision.


My only submission is that, for a musician as
hardworking as ASEM, who was undoubtedly the genre
defining act of the year and set the pace for
many; it would be utterly unfair if he was not
rewarded for his meritorious efforts. It would
indeed not augur well for the other hardworking
artistes who are making all efforts to do the
right thing in their music and set a very negative
precedence for many upcoming acts.

Source - Ghanamusic

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