The first time I heard a Black Sherif song was at my barber’s shop in Mamobi, Accra. At the time, he was little known but his song ‘Money’ was on Spotify.’ When the song played and ended, I begged my barber to put it on repeat. And since then, call me a die-hard Black Sherif fan.
Every Black Sherif song is like my life and values, my thinking and my musings creatively carved into a beautiful piece of music. The passion with which Black sings coupled with his unmatched, unstretched natural voice is simply to die for. Well, I will die for them cos the truth is Blacko’s songs speak my deepest thoughts; the darkest and the brightest.
Almost 24 hours ago, he and Smallgod have paired to release another song that speaks my heart. This song, Fallen Angel, is all about the good wishes a person has for another person. Person A could be a parent, a lover, a coach or a mentor and person B could be a child, a lover, or a mentee. Whatever the case, Fallen Angel has lyrics that touch on various themes such as personal growth, self-awareness, empathy, and the importance of staying true to oneself.
Blacko starts with, “Fortune I wish On you not few, plenty bundles.” This line expresses a desire for prosperity and abundance for someone, wishing them not just a little bit of fortune but plenty. It appears that Blacko is speaking to another person and is telling them what he wishes for them. And what he wishes for them is fortunes, good tidings, success, happiness, and life to its fullest.
This is me. This is me wishing my sister, Emmanuella, my wife, my mentees (I call them Efo’s Angels), my very close friends (Many will be surprised, but I have very few close friends) and my benefactors the best in everything they do. And I sincerely work towards ensuring that these people feel the wishes, the thoughts, I have for them. And then, I work my ass off to ensure they have that.
In the next line, Blacko says, “I’m looking out for you wherever you are (wherever you are).” Here, he expresses a sense of watching over or caring for someone, in this case, the person on whom he wished endless fortunes, regardless of their location, emphasizing his concern and support.
When it comes to the people I love, I am like a fowl with new chicks. I watch over my loved ones with Eagle eyes and a lion’s heart. And I don’t have to be close, I have my way of checking on my loved ones and ensuring their safety. If I ever miss a step, I retreat and restrategize. I am very mechanical like that.
In essence, as Blacko, and I, wish endless fortunes for our loved ones, we are eagerly, protectively looking out for their best interest in whatever they do and wherever they go.
Then, Blacko continues with, “Wherever you dey, If you say my name I will show, If you call I will be on the road.” Here, Blacko is making a solemn promise that it doesn’t matter the time or the place or the issue, if ever his loved one needs him, all they have to do is call. Blacko says, as soon as his lover calls, he will be on the road.
I remember a time when a mentee of mine had a near-death experience with rain, thunderstorms and lightning. She was traumatized to the bone. When I got her call, I left home to pick her up. We went to another mentee’s place and I stayed with her the whole day through countless bouts of sudden shivering and uncontrollable tears. This is just one case. The point is, no matter the situation, if I consider you a loved one, you just have to get through to me and I could leave everything to attend to you. More so, if it is linked to your well-being or achieving your personal goals.
Enter one of the favourite lines of the song, a line that ‘busts my brain’, “I will stay behind you for life”
Blacko is continuing the promises to his lover. Here, he promises long-term support and loyalty, indicating that he’ll be there to support the individual indefinitely. Black is saying he will stay behind his lover, supporting her (allow me to say her wai, na I doubt the lover is a he) from behind the scenes, for his entire life. This is a for-better-or-worse kind of situation.
One of the best moments in my life came when I saw my mentees and younger sister get public recognition while I was just a member of the audience. That feeling of sitting there and reminiscing the long tough nights of training which have culminated into the glory everyone is seeing on stage is indescribable.
The other side of this line is that I (like Blacko) will publicly support my person no matter what they’ve done. Most times, I won’t even listen to what others are saying. In public, my closest friends and affines are never wrong. We can discuss in private and chastise ourselves but in public ‘ago dey dema back always’, trust me.
“You are feeling too lost (too lost). For how long, you go be a slave to your flaws? Will you stay on the floor?” In this line, Blacko acknowledges that his person is feeling extremely lost or disconnected. So, he questions how long she will allow her imperfections or weaknesses to control her (I’ve already asked permission to assume the person is a she, so lezzzggooo!!).
I battle this every day when it comes to my wife, my mentees and my younger sister. They always find themselves unable to accomplish certain feats. They doubt themselves sometimes and often when those doubts and extreme frustration get to them, they take it out on me. So, often I quiz, ‘Until when will you allow your insecurities to take the better of you?’
As a parent, a mentor, and a protector, it is your duty to know your persons to the extent that you can always detect something amiss with them. You must know their fears and insecurities and help them work to overcome them. That is where Blacko is heading in this line.
Hence, in the next lines, Black says to his person, “I wanna see you at the top yo. Make dem no go call you a flop na. Make dem no go scatter your brain. I need you to wake up.” Clearly, Blacko is motivating his person to aim, work for and achieve the highest positions in life so that onlookers will not call her a failure and use their plenty gossiping to send her into depression. It is an encouragement for a person not to remain stuck or defeated but to strive for success and improvement.
