Lala Shishi : Ebony – Sponsor

INTRO by Ebony
Bony pon this

VERSE 1 by Ebony
See I’ve got myself a sponsor
Anything me I ask e dey buy buy
Even though he is older
Well I got to survive in this life
Another one who is younger
When I ask for something e dey cry cry

Ebony talks about the fact that she has two boyfriends. An older man who is married with kids and a younger one around her age. Due to hardships in Ghana some women date older married men to help them get enough cash to look after themselves: pay for school fees, buy clothes, etc. Ebony states how she is aware that the man is older, but she has to survive in this life, pointing out that she knows society in Ghana frowns upon young girls dating men who are old enough to be their parents, but because she has to survive she doesn’t care and will do it anyway. She also talks about the fact that anytime she asks the younger guy for something he complains. “When I ask for something e dey cry cry ” meaning when she asks he cries or complains.

CHORUS by Ebony

Mese papa yi a m’anya no yi deɛ ɔma me bibia [ɔma me bibia]
Nanso ɛduru anadwo a wobɛhwɛ na aka me nkoa [aka me nkoa]
Ɛda a ɔbɛba me nkyɛn me sɔ ne mu a asɛm a ɔka ne sɛ
Cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Honey, cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Oh Lord have mercy mercy mercy
These broke guys have lot of energy

” Mese papa yi a m’anya no yi deɛ ɔma me bibia [ɔma me bibia] ” She talks about the fact that anything she asks, the man gives to her.

“Nanso ɛduru anadwo a wobɛhwɛ na aka me nkoa [aka me nkoa]” — Due to the fact that the man is married and has to be with his wife and kids most of the time she feels lonely at night.

” Ɛda a ɔbɛba me nkyɛn me sɔ ne mu a asɛm a ɔka ne sɛ

Cool it for me, slow down

Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya

Cool it for me, slow down

Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya “

With this particular line she talks about how when she spends the night with her older boyfriend and tries touching him he complains about having waist pains (Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya), so she should cool it for him or take her time. ” Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya ” — There is a word play in this line. Literally this means “let me hear he is having back pains”, but when spoken it comes out as me koti (penis) ɛyɛ me ya ( hurts). Although Ebony doesn’t say it, this double meaning suggests why she is also involved with the younger man, who evidently fills this other gap 😉

VERSE 2 by Ebony

Inna mi down town hot just like a oven
But when the morning comes mi no have nothing
A boyfriend who cyaan buy you food when you a hungry
Mtcheew is that one too a boyfriend
So I change game move fast switch of the lanes
I got myself a sponsor

In this verse she makes reference to her younger boyfriend who is unable to provide her with money when she needs . She goes ahead to ask: is that one too a boyfriend? This is a line most people use in Ghana to make a point about someone or something being useless. Because her younger boyfriend is unable to provide for her she had to act smart and get herself an older boyfriend (sponsor): “So I change game move fast switch of the lanes I got myself a sponsor”

CHORUS by Ebony
Mese papa yi a m’anya no yi deɛ ɔma me bibia [ɔma me bibia]
Nanso ɛduru anadwo a wobɛhwɛ na aka me nkoa [aka me nkoa]
Ɛda a ɔbɛba me nkyɛn me sɔ ne mu a asɛm a ɔka ne sɛ
Cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me kɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Honey, cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me kɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Oh Lord have mercy mercy mercy
These broke guys have lot of energy

VERSE 3 by Ebony
Should I leave all these Gucci, Prada
Na which young girl no dey fear hunger
Dilemma I’m in dilemma
Bad gyal Ebony in dilemma
Obi kyerɛ me, me nhu nea me fa

With this verse she talks about her love for designer clothes, shoes and handbags, a passion for elegance which she shares with many women in Ghana. ” Should I leave all these Gucci, Prada , na which young girl no dey fear hunger” – talks about being scared of going hungry or broke.

“Dilemma I’m in dilemma , bad gyal Ebony in dilemma” – She is in a dilemma, she doesn’t know if she should stick to her younger boyfriend who loves her but can’t provide for her, or be with her older boyfriend who can provide everything for her, but she knows she doesn’t have a future with such a person.

Lala Shishi – explain the song, in Ga.

Every week, we will shed some light on the meaning of current hits in and out of Ghana: many bangers have an underlying message or social commentary, carried out using sophisticated and ever evolving wordplay – an aspect that is vastly lost in translation. The music videos don’t always unlock the true meaning or intricacies of hit songs, and lyrics alone are not always enough to understand the numerous double entendre and wordplays, so… here we go!

Music Video: in and out by betina quest

Oct 22, 2020

in and out is about all those times of finding yourself in between the 'here', the 'there' and the 'nowhere' while trusting you will eventually find your way and the peace within. The visuals depict that very state of mind and lure you into that special space. Take a...

Lyrics Video: Jeune Lio – My Love feat. Magasco

Aug 18, 2020

Follow up to Abidjan-based Cameroonian DJ and creative director Jeune Lio, here's the lyrics video to his debut single My Love featuring Magasco. Video animation was done by Ozaki & Tiemo. RELATED Follow up to Abidjan-based Cameroonian DJ and...

Music Video: Solid K – Music on the Road

Aug 11, 2020

Music on the Road was shot by Daniel Kwabena Marmo of The 3 Suns. According to Solid K, " The video tries to capture how I feel about music, it depicts how hard it is to explain with words. It shows what a surreal feeling it brings to me. As can be seen, I walk...

Lala Shishi : Ebony – Sponsor

INTRO by Ebony
Bony pon this

VERSE 1 by Ebony
See I’ve got myself a sponsor
Anything me I ask e dey buy buy
Even though he is older
Well I got to survive in this life
Another one who is younger
When I ask for something e dey cry cry

Ebony talks about the fact that she has two boyfriends. An older man who is married with kids and a younger one around her age. Due to hardships in Ghana some women date older married men to help them get enough cash to look after themselves: pay for school fees, buy clothes, etc. Ebony states how she is aware that the man is older, but she has to survive in this life, pointing out that she knows society in Ghana frowns upon young girls dating men who are old enough to be their parents, but because she has to survive she doesn’t care and will do it anyway. She also talks about the fact that anytime she asks the younger guy for something he complains. “When I ask for something e dey cry cry ” meaning when she asks he cries or complains.

CHORUS by Ebony

Mese papa yi a m’anya no yi deɛ ɔma me bibia [ɔma me bibia]
Nanso ɛduru anadwo a wobɛhwɛ na aka me nkoa [aka me nkoa]
Ɛda a ɔbɛba me nkyɛn me sɔ ne mu a asɛm a ɔka ne sɛ
Cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Honey, cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Oh Lord have mercy mercy mercy
These broke guys have lot of energy

” Mese papa yi a m’anya no yi deɛ ɔma me bibia [ɔma me bibia] ” She talks about the fact that anything she asks, the man gives to her.

“Nanso ɛduru anadwo a wobɛhwɛ na aka me nkoa [aka me nkoa]” — Due to the fact that the man is married and has to be with his wife and kids most of the time she feels lonely at night.

” Ɛda a ɔbɛba me nkyɛn me sɔ ne mu a asɛm a ɔka ne sɛ

Cool it for me, slow down

Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya

Cool it for me, slow down

Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya “

With this particular line she talks about how when she spends the night with her older boyfriend and tries touching him he complains about having waist pains (Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya), so she should cool it for him or take her time. ” Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya ” — There is a word play in this line. Literally this means “let me hear he is having back pains”, but when spoken it comes out as me koti (penis) ɛyɛ me ya ( hurts). Although Ebony doesn’t say it, this double meaning suggests why she is also involved with the younger man, who evidently fills this other gap 😉

VERSE 2 by Ebony

Inna mi down town hot just like a oven
But when the morning comes mi no have nothing
A boyfriend who cyaan buy you food when you a hungry
Mtcheew is that one too a boyfriend
So I change game move fast switch of the lanes
I got myself a sponsor

In this verse she makes reference to her younger boyfriend who is unable to provide her with money when she needs . She goes ahead to ask: is that one too a boyfriend? This is a line most people use in Ghana to make a point about someone or something being useless. Because her younger boyfriend is unable to provide for her she had to act smart and get herself an older boyfriend (sponsor): “So I change game move fast switch of the lanes I got myself a sponsor”

CHORUS by Ebony
Mese papa yi a m’anya no yi deɛ ɔma me bibia [ɔma me bibia]
Nanso ɛduru anadwo a wobɛhwɛ na aka me nkoa [aka me nkoa]
Ɛda a ɔbɛba me nkyɛn me sɔ ne mu a asɛm a ɔka ne sɛ
Cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me kɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Honey, cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me kɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Oh Lord have mercy mercy mercy
These broke guys have lot of energy

VERSE 3 by Ebony
Should I leave all these Gucci, Prada
Na which young girl no dey fear hunger
Dilemma I’m in dilemma
Bad gyal Ebony in dilemma
Obi kyerɛ me, me nhu nea me fa

With this verse she talks about her love for designer clothes, shoes and handbags, a passion for elegance which she shares with many women in Ghana. ” Should I leave all these Gucci, Prada , na which young girl no dey fear hunger” – talks about being scared of going hungry or broke.

“Dilemma I’m in dilemma , bad gyal Ebony in dilemma” – She is in a dilemma, she doesn’t know if she should stick to her younger boyfriend who loves her but can’t provide for her, or be with her older boyfriend who can provide everything for her, but she knows she doesn’t have a future with such a person.

Lala Shishi – explain the song, in Ga.

Every week, we will shed some light on the meaning of current hits in and out of Ghana: many bangers have an underlying message or social commentary, carried out using sophisticated and ever evolving wordplay – an aspect that is vastly lost in translation. The music videos don’t always unlock the true meaning or intricacies of hit songs, and lyrics alone are not always enough to understand the numerous double entendre and wordplays, so… here we go!

Music Video: in and out by betina quest

Oct 22, 2020

in and out is about all those times of finding yourself in between the 'here', the 'there' and the 'nowhere' while trusting you will eventually find your way and the peace within. The visuals depict that very state of mind and lure you into that special space. Take a...

Lyrics Video: Jeune Lio – My Love feat. Magasco

Aug 18, 2020

Follow up to Abidjan-based Cameroonian DJ and creative director Jeune Lio, here's the lyrics video to his debut single My Love featuring Magasco. Video animation was done by Ozaki & Tiemo. RELATED Follow up to Abidjan-based Cameroonian DJ and...

Music Video: Solid K – Music on the Road

Aug 11, 2020

Music on the Road was shot by Daniel Kwabena Marmo of The 3 Suns. According to Solid K, " The video tries to capture how I feel about music, it depicts how hard it is to explain with words. It shows what a surreal feeling it brings to me. As can be seen, I walk...

Lasting Music & Disposable Love in Nairobi

(Originally published in the Lungu Lungu column at the Fader) Nairobi is a place I have yet to visit, but already I’m hooked to its bustling, cosmopolitan atmosphere. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Just A Band, I follow Sauti Sol on Twitter, I’ve been listening to Kenyan hip hop, hearing about Kenya’s nightlife and now Anto. I’d never heard of him. Clearly, I don’t reside in Nairobi, because it seems everybody there knows him; he’s an actor in Kenya’s top drama series Siri, and now also in Shuga on MTV. I didn’t know any of this, all I had was a tweet with a link to a video. I get a lot of those. I usually let them play in the background, and unfortunately rarely feel the need to even remember the artists’ name.

Not this time. Anto definitely caught my attention, first with his voice and his arrangements, then with the quality of his video. As it turns out, “Chips Funga” is the result of months and months of decanting in the studio, Anto being his own hardest critic. Before the studio were years and years of singing, 20 to be exact, ever since Anto started singing Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly when he was six years old. Anto grew up soaking in soul music from his dad’s record collection and was lucky enough to be born into a family that was highly supportive of his talent and taste for singing. He sang at church, he sang in school. In his own words, Anto was “unstoppable”.

And so is my appetite for Kenyan music. Detractors say Kenyan culture is dead, because folklore and tradition are nowhere near the limelight. I don’t understand how you can tell millions of people their culture is dead. I hear Anto and think to myself, Clearly Kenya is booming. I’m amazed a song like this can be created and recorded so well in Nairobi, so of course I had to geek out and ask Anto about this process.

“Recording live in Kenya is no walk in the park, since not many recording companies can accommodate full bands in their studios,” Anto says. The story is all too familiar: artists are mainly self-funded, which means they cannot afford to take chances. So when they go to the studio, it’s to record a hit. They aim at the most mainstream sound and the most immediate success. Anto laughs, “[Artists] want to churn out music that pleases the air for now, regardless of the possibility of longevity, because some want a quick return and some unfortunately fame.”

This quick hit, quick money, quick fame logic has spurred the growth of home studios, “mushrooming in people’s bedrooms, kitchens, dining rooms,” as Anto puts it. Finding a producer who understands an artists’ vision, who can advise on arrangements and deliver on the engineering side has been a real challenge, but the situation is evolving: “Fortunately in Kenya now, music is coming full circle, and there are engineers and producers who are more inclined in quality of music, rather than releasing songs in massive numbers in the hopes of getting hits. And that has really challenged artists to come up with great music,” he says.