Hiplife is in coma and I blame myself for that; I only knew of anthropology, sociology, when I took the mantle in 1996 — Okyeame Kwame

Ghanaian rapper and music icon, Okyeame Kwame, has expressed regret over the current state of the Hiplife genre, taking responsibility for the perceived decline in its cultural relevance and impact on the younger generation.

In a reflective interview with Bola Ray on Starr Chat, Okyeame Kwame admitted that Hiplife is currently in a state of 'coma,' attributing the genre's challenges to the failure of its pioneers, including himself, to adequately pass on the torch to the younger generation.

The rap doctor acknowledged that sustaining a music genre requires a dedicated group of young enthusiasts willing to carry the torch forward.

However, he lamented the absence of such a group within the Hiplife genre in Ghana.

“I think that for every genre to be able to stay alive, there must be a group of young people who are interested in carrying the torch to the next young generation, and for Hiplife, we don’t have that," Okyeame Kwame remarked.

He candidly admitted that he and his colleagues, as pioneers of Hiplife, failed to invest in attracting and grooming young talents to ensure the continuity and vibrancy of the genre.

Reflecting on his early days in the industry, Okyeame Kwame revealed that he was not initially aware of the responsibility to pass on the genre to the next generation.

"People like myself have failed the young generation completely because when I took on the mantle of Hiplife in 1996, the last thing I knew was anthropology, sociology, or marketing.

“I didn’t know I was supposed to carry this thing upfront and give it to someone else," he explained.

Drawing a comparison with the Western music industry, Okyeame Kwame highlighted the established practice of older artists passing the baton to the younger generation.

He cited examples like Big Daddy Kane passing it to Jay Z, and Jay Z passing it on to others, as a model that Ghana's Hiplife genre failed to adopt.

In the course of the interview, Okyeame Kwame also reflected on his own journey within the genre, acknowledging that he was disloyal to his former group member, Okyeame Quophi, when he went solo and released songs outside of their group, Akyeame.