We listened to M.anifest's "Nowhere Cool" album, and it was ‘super cool’

Jazz, Funk and Trap laced typical African Hip-hop truly manifested in M.anifest’s 14-track studio album titled “Nowhere Cool”. Name your favourite African instrument and you will hear it in at least 90% of the songs on the album.

"Nowhere Cool" is what we are waiting for. Not just the music side of it, but the album is M.anifest's painstaking approach to a revolutionised African rap or Afrocentric music. He has worked his way through at last. The album speaks for itself. The album will give the masses some good reasons to love and appreciate him.

He starts off on track 1 with an archetypal Hip-hop tune brewed from Africa music pot. The track “Nowhere Cool” tells how the typical Ghanaian grapples with miseries on a daily basis. Did you know that a bad network connection can affect a language? Hope you heard the guy who told an English-speaking newscaster that “Please, the network is not good so can we speak Twi.” Don’t laugh. Nowhere cool in Ghana.

Though nowhere cool, M.anifest lurked (apparently, for a surprise reason) in track 2 (Invisible). He claims "no one sees and say hi to him".

But he spikes, rapping aggressively and heavy growl over a Digital Hardcore beat. That was just the intro on track 3 (B.E.A.R). He is throwing shade everywhere and rhythmically brought to light the consequences of his battering bars.

Youngster Worlasi gave him a moralesupport on “Hand Dey Go, Hand Dey Come” (track 4) with emotional vocals. M.anifest sounded calmed on the mid-tempo classical and jazzed filled Afro-Hop tune.

M.anifest sarcastically mimicked Sarkodie, saying “You know say money no be problem” and talks about problems of rich men (ironically) in track 5 (Rich People Problems). SA rapper Tumi Molekane burst into the heavy bass Hip-hop tune with pukka verses.

Track 6 (Palm Wine & Whisky) featuring Dex Kwesi , track 7 (Sugar) featuring Brymo, track 8 (Cupid’s Crooked Bow) featuring Nomisupasta, and track 9 (Simple Love) are the compendium of M.anifest’s love life. The tracks moved him from hard-core rap to R&B mood and sounded more romantic.

“The emperor, he no get his clothes on//Bought himself a cloud 9//That’s what he flows on//” M.anifest punches in “Ozymandias” featuring Paapa. "Am the people’s darling//Am Roosevelt//Of course you felt//Am the new deal//Idi Amin//Now I mean//Don’t care how your crew feel//Am too well indelible," M.anifest clearly feels like a legend but still wobbly about his status.

Note: “Ozymandias” is a poem by English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. It describes a broken statue of a legendary king of ancient times, lying forgotten in the desert, with these words carved on its base.

“Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop,” M.anifest fires more shots on the 11th track (Damn You Rafiki). He sounds fierce and punches his Rafiki (meaning a friend in Swahili). I don’t have time to explain who that friend.

He fired more shots in “Time No Dey” featuring Worlasi. He downplays VGMA and claims he can win Grammys.

He felt relieved after track 12 and embraced a new world “Now Here Cool” featuring Cina Soul and Ama Ata Aidoo.

He said an emotional and moody goodbye to “Nowhere Cool” on track 14 (Goodbye) featuring Brymo. It wasn’t a goodbye to the project but goodbye to his struggles and woes.

His flow was a matured one, sounded studious, delivered internal rhymes, and demonstrated brainy wordplay and unpredictable imagery.“Nowhere Cool” is the summary of African struggles but gives hope. I can now say “Nowhere Cool” was ‘super cool’.