- In 2010, Sarkodie was 22 and Yvonne was 25. Sark had the biggest hit songs in the country. In that year, Sark won 5 awards at the VGMA. He won the “Discovery of the Year”, “Rapper of the Year”, “Hiplife/Hippop Artist of the Year”, “Album of the Year” and the ultimate prize “Artiste of the Year”, among several awards.
2. Sarkodie in 2010 was like Black Sherif in 2023. Sarkodie had his own car (according to the book). Therefore, anyone who comes to you with the story that Sarkodie suggested an abortion because he lived with the mum and was poor is not telling you the complete truth. He may not have been super rich, but he was definitely not so poor to care for a child.
Yvonne herself was not poor either. At the time, she had bought her own house and owned her second car (Toyota RAV4). Clearly, Sarkodie’s reason for the abortion (that Yvonne wanted to complete school first) makes more sense than Yvonne’s reason (that Sarkodie was poor).
3. Here is the deal; Yvonne and Sarkodie were NOT dating in 2010. They only had sex. Yvonne describes it as “we got closer” and Sark says “We had a thing”. Technically, they were “just friends” who had sex. This is quite characteristic of “street life”.
That’s why Sark describes Yvonne as “for the streets”. Some people find this “street” description of Yvonne insulting and offensive.
If you find someone with ‘churchy’ behaviour, you call them “church girl/boy”. Similarly, if you find someone with ‘street life’, you call them a “street boy/girl”.
Same for the child of the rich “Dada-bee”. We don’t just give descriptions, it is people’s lifestyles that merit the descriptions we give them. So if Sark calls Yvonne a “street girl”, it’s because Yvonne behaved in ‘a street manner.
How else should he have described her to please you? But wait oo, they are fighting, were you expecting him to praise her or circumvent?
4. Remember, Sarkodie has always referred to himself as “coming from the streets” (though he looks more refined for a street boy)- part of the reason the abortion story has become explosive. Imagine it was Shatta Wale- no news! Some time into their sex friendship, Sarkodie says he was hinted that he was not the only dude knacking her.
They were plenty. This revelation is not unbelievable for a girl who can open her legs for a random friend. Sark says he decided to withdraw from Yvonne. Around this withdrawal period, Yvonne called to say that she was pregnant for him. This was Sark’s first reason to suspect a foul play.
5. Sark accepted the pregnancy but had his doubts even to date (he says that in the song). Of course, the pregnancy could be for any of the plenty guys or him. Sark then suggested they go to see his personal doctor. Yvonne declined. This intensified Sark’s suspicion. Yvonne rather suggested she sees her friend’s doctor. Sark, in the midst of all the suspicion, still accepted the responsibility or played along, at least.
6. Now, this is the point of divergence. Yvonne claims that Sark initiated the abortion move because he was not ready for a child. She claims Sark lived with the mum and almost suggests Sark was poor then, with future success not really guaranteed. Conversely, Sark also claims Yvonne mooted the abortion idea claiming that she was in school and would love to complete it. Between the two, Yvonne’s claim that Sark was poor looks hard to believe (refer to Fact 1).
7. However, Sarkodie’s claim that Yvonne initiated the abortion idea because she wanted to complete school first adds up. Because, in Yvonne’s own book, she writes, “? ???? ????? ?? ??? ? ????? ????. ? ??? ?? ?? ????? ???? ?? ??? ??????????. ? ??? ?????? ???? ??????. ? ??? ???????? ??? ?????????? ??? ??? ???????? ?? ???? ??????? ????? ?????.” This statement from Yvonne herself corroborates Sark’s claim that Yvonne herself did not want the pregnancy.
8. Sarkodie calls Yvonne a street girl who wasn’t searching for true love. Yvonne consolidates this description of her in her own book. In the book, there are, at least, two guys who appeared real and true. Duncan Williams’ son, Joel, and some guy in the UK (I’ve forgotten the name). With these two guys, Yvonne mounted some funny justification for leaving them. She left one because he asked them to seek for prayers and another because of a TV remote. Some weird justifications bi. This is typical of a street girl. Eat and Go. No sentiments.
9. For Yvonne to pin her pregnancy on Sarkodie (when plenty of other guys were probable) even indicates that she found Sarkodie to be a responsible guy. Generally, when a playgirl gets pregnant, she inspects her list and selects the guy who looks responsible and pins it on him. Looks like that’s exactly what Yvonne did with Sark, at least, that’s how the musician perceived the entire drama.
10. For now, it’s Yvonne’s word against Sark’s. I’m not sure who you should believe but Sark’s narration looks more consistent than Yvonne’s. A lot of the descriptions Sark gave to Yvonne in the song, including referring to her as a “street girl”, opting for the abortion herself, not looking for true love, etc are consistent with some inferences and explicit descriptions in Yvonne’s own book. The truth is, about 70% of what Sark said about Yvonne can be inferred from Yvonne’s own book.
11. Sark says he received a call from Yvonne just a few weeks ago. Yvonne was complaining she was still struggling from the debris of the abortion (13-year-old abortion oo). Sarkodie knew she was up to some drama so he suggested they meet at an open public space (Skybar restaurant). Yvonne declined. She wanted Sarkodie to go to her house (and discuss the abortion pain, after 13 years). She was coming to release an explosive book and needed some videos (and other shreds of evidence) to completely destroy Sark. The musician knew the antics and declined that “home” meeting. Indeed, there are several instances in the book where Yvonne videotaped people without their knowledge or consent, so Sark’s suspicion was not far-fetched.
Away from Sarkodie.
12. Yvonne has opened up her mother to a very unnecessary public disgrace, ridicule and insult. Apart from not showing Yvonne her father, this woman has made every reasonable effort, as a single mother, to give her daughter a good foundation. Her weakness of not being able to direct Yvonne to her father cannot be a reason to expose such a mother to a huge public disgrace. Even the role this woman played when Yvonne was pregnant with her current child deserved a complete chapter of praise-singing. But, Yvonne is only interested in the negative. If you’ve not read the book, you’d think the mother is some old witch destroying the destiny of her daughter.
13. Yvonne is overly dramatic about this “I’m looking for my father” thing. Without a father, you have become a Yvonne Nelson. You’re 38. If you see your father today, then what? People have come from broken homes, single parenthood, and orphanages, and are fine. Some of them are not even successful. They are still on the streets hustling. You have come from a single parent and become a successful celebrity, business girl, educated to the Master’s degree level (and can even go further), why all this fuss about a father? What will he do if he comes into your space now? What if he’s dead?
14. Clearly, Sark’s appearance and explicit mention in the book is more commercial than reasonable. Yvonne could have carried the message so perfectly, and made a good impact without Sark’s name, like she did with the several other characters in the book. Sark’s mention looks like a fragile attempt to get back at a responsible guy she never had. More like “If Sark is having a good home with all the finesse, lemme inject some negative vibe in there for him”. Reading the book, I saw many positive events that were only mentioned in passing. I thought some of these positive things, events and persons deserved chapters and paragraphs.
15. Ghanaians should allow, and in fact, encourage Sarkodie to speak up. No one should gag him. Men have been silent for too long.
We were in this country when Funny Face nearly died because of a woman. This prospective young man sadly had to end up in Psychiatry. I won’t remind you of what Odartey Lamptey went through at the hands of a woman.
Yvonne is clearly on an attack mission. In the book, Yvonne made references to abortion about 5 times, even in contexts that were not relatable.
She had to keep repeating and emphasizing the abortion to drive home a message. How can she be suffering abortion pains after 13 good years when she has even given birth in between?
The labour ward was not painful or memorable enough? You’d admit that even if they had not been aborted, Sark would have still needed a DNA report before he accepts the child (given the circumstance). So Yvonne’s narration alone, without any evidence, cannot be taken hook, line and sinker. Unless you’re not objective.
16. This is NOT a battle against womanhood. Sarkodie is not fighting the women of Ghana. He is defending himself against Yvonne Nelson, a woman who seems bent on putting his brand, family and source of livelihood on the line.
Sark puts food on the table from his brand, and this is what Yvonne has attacked. Sarkodie has a daughter, one wife, and a mother who he’s responsible for.
He cannot be described as not respecting womanhood. I have told you before, of all the things around you, if someone decides to attack your family or source of income, that’s a DEMON. Attack back with every fury in you- whether a man or woman or an animal.
Never sit aloof and watch someone attack, destroy and take your name, joy or source of livelihood to the gutters. Life is too short to allow your fellow human to destroy you. Sark understands this philosophy pretty well.
This is advice for Yvonne. See, when you write a book and release it to the public, you don’t follow the public to impose an interpretation on them. Once you release your material to the public, everybody has the right to make their meanings from it. If Ama Ata Aidoo, Kofi Anyidoho, Kofi Awoonor, Peggy Oppong, Shakespeare, and all the writers are to follow us and be imposing their works (and their meaning) on us, they’ll kill the essence of Literature.
Your autobiography is a literary piece, whether you like it or not. Allow the public to make their judgements from your book. It actually adds beauty to the craft. Sarkodie read the book and felt a character in the book resembles him so he should release a song on the character. Be happy that your book has actually caused someone to enter the studio.
That’s the power of Literature. Your book has caused me to write this article. It has sparked debates in many ghettos, in classrooms, in the media, etc.
These are all allowed in Literature. Stop tweeting and talking plenty about your book. It affects the quality. You’re the author, you’ve done your job by writing. Allow the readers to also do their job by critiquing.
Thank you
