Legendary Ghanaian Hip-Hop/Hiplife lyricist Reggie Rockstone affectionately referred to as Hiplife Grandpapa, has asserted that most of the musics we listen today are still under his revolutionary Ghanaian music genre Hiplife.

Granting an interview to Tony Best on Kumasi-based radio station, Akoma FM’s entertainment 360 on Saturday, February 12, 2023, the successful Ghanaian rap breakthrough mentioned that, even though in recent times Ghanaian rappers shy away from associating with the Hiplife brand, they still flow in Twi on local rhythm beat productions and that was and still the basic notion of Hiplife.

The ‘Mapouka’ hitmaker opined that, “I think current rappers do not associate with Hiplife because they think Afrobeat is the trending genre now, so they’re comfortable saying that is what they do.

“Do not get me wrong, we all like and enjoy Afrobeat. But I also agree with my friend Panji when he said there never would have been any Afrobeat today if not for Hiplife because I feel Afrobeat is us. That is because listening to Afrobeat very well, you could see traces of Hiplife and Highlife in there”, the Oseikrom President uttered.

Finally, he cited that Nigerians go everywhere in the planet touting their love for Afrobeat, and the world seems to recognize them with that. So the best this generation can do is to also claim Hiplife genre and identify themselves with that because many artistes today are still doing what was begun some decades ago.

© 2023 • Edem Latsu Nukafu