Total Cheat: GIJ examines students on the song’s ‘disrespect’ to women

The Song of the Year at the 2018 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, ‘Total Cheat’ by Fancy Gadam, has appeared in an examination question.

The question set by the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) for its Level 400 students seeks an examination of the misogynistic implications of the lyrical content of the song.

In the question, the candidates are also asked to explain cases of misogyny in other rap songs apart from Fancy Gadam’s ‘Total Cheat.’
                      

“Examine the following hip-life verse of for instances of misogyny and explain any three cases of misogyny in rap music.

Why say I marry you beautiful…the next day you are ugly (2x)
This be na total cheat…you musti see my lawyer (2x)
I no know you be born one virgin…Born two virgin…born three virgin…
She naa you be born four virgin yeah heeii” the question says.

In the song which features Sarkodie, the singer expresses his disappointment at his lover whose beauty, he claims, wanes after a short while. ‘Total Cheat’ further thrives on the subject of deception, where the singer is worried that his wife who supposedly claimed was a virgin actually has kid(s).

Misogyny means the “dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.”

Fancy Gadam, took the music industry by storm in 2017 when after conquering the northern part of the country with his music, ‘invaded’ the southern part of Ghana to launch his music career.

He has been described as the ‘Prince of the Northern Region’ due his huge following and influence on society.