His widely embraced and critically acclaimed 2007 debut, "manifestations," earned him high praise and a good number of top albums of the year honors and mentions. The Star Tribune, named manifestations as one of the top 5 albums of 2007, and asks “"What's a rapper from Ghana who's as smart as Talib Kweli and as funky as Kanye West doing in Minnesota?” He has that rare accessible yet uncompromising sound to his music with the ability to effortlessly mold his transnational experience into amazing songs – classic sounding songs with skillful and literate lyrics over African inspired rhythms and melodies.
Unapologetically African, M.anifest brings a refreshing new perspective and sound to Hip-Hop music. In simple ways, he delivers profound thought and represents the plethora of narratives of the continent very skillfully. Armed with an amazing live show, a powerful wordplay, and a forward-thinking sense of music, M.anifest is poised to make memorable music for a long time.
Mind Games
M.anifest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I dey vex you den make you mad
You dey talk say that I’m bad
But I’m the best you ever had
You dey mek I dey craze oh, ɔdɔ aye
You dey mek I dey craze
You dey mek I dey craze
I dey craze, I dey craze i dey craze, ɔdɔ eh
Me se, What I for do? To be with you
You on a long ting, so I take the scenic view
You no say money no be problem
It’s minuscule e no be true
But I hope it sounded good to you
When in love every cry sounds beautiful
Even the bitching and moaning sounds musical
But sometimes I walk alone need my solitude
But you call me on the
Phone and catch an attitude
I’m ignoring you, it's that possible?
When you’re all I can think of
Is it logical?
Wo ho adwen adwen koraa nti yɛse m'afɔn
Yɛbɔ me ampesie koraa ɛnnɔ mekɔn
Ɔdɔ yei yɛ adwuma, nanso me mpɛ sɛ me pɔn
Ɛbɛ bɔ m'akoma ka, nanso me ntumi ntɔn
Mind games give migraines how I for do?
In the war of roses nobody wins, it’s true
You dey talk say that I’m bad
I dey vex you den make you mad
You dey talk say that I’m bad
But I’m the best you ever had
You dey mek I dey craze oh, ɔdɔ aye
You dey mek I dey craze
You dey mek I dey craze
I dey craze, I dey craze i dey craze, ɔdɔ eh
You dey mek I dey craze
You’re too much for one man
Not enough for two
My days turn to blue after nights with you
Your trifle life despicable
Life in love miserable
Love life mystical, now it’s mythical
I come tire, you make man dey wire
Telling pretty stories, such a beautiful liar
Crocodile tears for sale, I’m the buyer
Guess I’m a sucker for love, that's dire
Your emo displays too too much
If I stay another day, I’ll be Cuckoo nuts
Wo se me nn'gyae kowhisɛm, but you do such
Juju yei deɛ emu yɛ den, Voodoo sucks
We fuss, we cuss, no trust, it’s draining us
All these old happy photographs framing us
Me se, mind games give migraines
How I for do?
In the war of roses nobody wins, it’s true
You dey talk say that I’m bad
I dey vex you den make you mad
You dey talk say that I’m bad
But I’m the best you ever had
You dey mek I dey craze oh, ɔdɔ aye
You dey mek I dey craze
You dey mek I dey craze
I dey craze, I dey craze i dey craze, ɔdɔ eh
You dey mek I dey craze
You dey talk say that I’m bad
I dey vex you den make you mad
I dey vex you den make you mad
You dey talk say that I’m bad
I dey vex you den make you mad
I dey vex you den make you mad
You dey talk say that I’m bad
I dey vex you den make you mad
You dey talk say that I’m bad
But I’m the best you ever had
You dey mek I dey craze oh, ɔdɔ aye
You dey mek I dey craze
You dey mek I dey craze
I dey craze, I dey craze i dey craze, ɔdɔ eh
You dey mek I dey craze
In "Mind Games," M.anifest admits to being vexed and driven crazy by a lover who accuses him of being bad. The song explores the complex nature of relationships and the ways in which both partners can play mind games. M.anifest acknowledges that the relationship is not without its challenges and that both parties have a role to play in the ups and downs. The chorus repeats the phrase "You dey mek I dey craze," which is a Ghanaian Pidgin phrase, and means "You are making me go crazy."
The first verse finds M.anifest expressing his frustration about his lover's accusations, even as he acknowledges that he's the best they ever had. He wonders what he should do to keep his lover happy since he sometimes needs his space. In the second verse, he reflects on the challenges of his relationship and how love can be both beautiful and miserable. He reveals that their love life has become mythical, and he's exhausted from the emotional strain. In the final verse, he realizes that their relationship is draining and accuses his lover of playing mind games.
Line by Line Meaning
You dey talk say that I’m bad
You keep telling me that I am not good enough
I dey vex you den make you mad
Your constant criticism and negativity towards me makes me angry and frustrated
But I’m the best you ever had
Despite your opinion of me, I know that I am the best partner you have had
You dey mek I dey craze oh, ɔdɔ aye
Your behavior is driving me crazy, my love
Me se, What I for do? To be with you
I wonder what I must do to be with you
You on a long ting, so I take the scenic view
You seem to be interested in someone else, so I am taking a figurative detour
You no say money no be problem
You claim that money is not an issue
It’s minuscule e no be true
But that is not true
But I hope it sounded good to you
I hope it made you feel better or happy to say that, even if it's not true
When in love every cry sounds beautiful
When you are in love, every expression, even negative ones seem sweet
Even the bitching and moaning sounds musical
Even complaining and whining from you sounds like music to my ears
But sometimes I walk alone need my solitude
But sometimes I need to be alone and have my own space
But you call me on thePhone and catch an attitude
But when you call me, you have an attitude or get angry easily
I’m ignoring you, it's that possible?
I am trying to ignore you, but is it possible?
When you’re all I can think of
When you are the only thing that occupies my thoughts
Is it logical?
Is it reasonable?
Wo ho adwen adwen koraa nti yɛse m'afɔn
Slowly but surely, you are driving me insane
Yɛbɔ me ampesie koraa ɛnnɔ mekɔn
We argue and fight all the time, and it's tiring me out
Ɔdɔ yei yɛ adwuma, nanso me mpɛ sɛ me pɔn
Love is work, but I am not sure I want to continue this way
Ɛbɛ bɔ m'akoma ka, nanso me ntumi ntɔn
I will try to keep my heart steady, but it's hard
Mind games give migraines how I for do?
Your mind games are giving me headaches, what should I do?
In the war of roses nobody wins, it’s true
No one ever wins in a fight between lovers, it's always a lose-lose situation
You’re too much for one man
You demand too much from one person
Not enough for two
But can't fulfill the needs of two people
My days turn to blue after nights with you
My days become sad after spending nights with you
Your trifle life despicable
You live a trivial and insignificant life
Life in love miserable
Being in love with you is a miserable experience
Love life mystical, now it’s mythical
Love was something magical but now it's just a myth
I come tire, you make man dey wire
I am tired of this relationship, it's driving me crazy
Telling pretty stories, such a beautiful liar
You tell pretty lies, which make you a beautiful liar
Crocodile tears for sale, I’m the buyer
You fake emotions and cry just to manipulate me, and I fall for it
Guess I’m a sucker for love, that's dire
I am a fool for love and it's a hopeless situation
Your emo displays too too much
You show too much of your emotions
If I stay another day, I’ll be Cuckoo nuts
If I stay even one more day with you, I will go crazy
Wo se me nn'gyae kowhisɛm, but you do such
You claim to understand me, but you act the opposite
Juju yei deɛ emu yɛ den, Voodoo sucks
Whether it's black magic or voodoo, it's all nonsense
We fuss, we cuss, no trust, it’s draining us
We argue, curse at each other, and have no trust, it's exhausting us
All these old happy photographs framing us
All those old happy memories in photographs are what keep us together
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC
Written by: GARY HOLLINS, KWAME TSIKATA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ssmith9138
I'm a student from America and I have to say M.anifest is better than half the rappers over here. Ghana puts out some of the best music! No matter where you listen no one should sleep on Africa!
@kinyuakariithi
im a Kenyan,and manifest is 100times better than the entire young money crew.damn Ghana has good rappers.#GhanaKenyaLove
@KhinNinson
LOL You know better not to Exaggerate but I agree Manifest is Good.
@thubelihlecele2546
David Kinyua true!
@thubelihlecele2546
David Kinyua true!
@pkaydennis
preach
@joewele
true
@talkshit79
M.anifest I just started listening to you after the Sarkodie diss track..im not even gonna say u dissed him, you were just telling him your mind and bro ever since ,im your biggest fan. Godmc track is dopeeee. So we have rappers like you in Ghana. Forget Dem Is my favorite track. Love from Ronald. VA USA
@samuelopare2199
It's amazing how great this still sounds in 2022💯
@theophiluswegbe1528
i watched the video on my cell...but as a crazy M.anifan, i ve to come here and add my comment... The track dey make i dey craze longest...i thank God for the video...