Reggie Rockstone: The Originator Of Hiplife (Part 1)
Reginald Osei a.k.a Reggie Rockstone who was born in the 1960s in the United Kingdom is the originator, godfather or grandfather of the hiplife genre in Ghana. He pioneered the hiplife movement in 1994 which spiced up the music industry of Ghana at that time which was dominated by highlife.
However, others laid the rap music foundation some years back before the existence of hiplife. But Reggie Rockstone consciously caused the branded development of hiplife as a genre of music in Ghana! And I describe hiplife as an indigenous rap music in a Ghanaian language which combines hiphop and highlife.
Also, Reggie Rockstone released the first hiplife album in 1997 titled 'Makaa Maka' with 'Choo Boi' being a hit single. He has so far released some four hiplife albums which are 'Makaa Maka' in 1997, 'Me Na Mekae' in 1999, 'Last Show' in 2004 and 'Reggiestration' in 2010. However, his critics and detractors claim that Reggie Rockstone is a mediocre rapper or hiplife artiste despite the fact that he originated hiplife. These people are entitled to their clueless opinions! And they also speak in ignorance of what hiplife really is as demonstrated by the pioneer himself in all his albums!
Moreover, Reginald Osei is the greatest (and not the best) hiplife artiste of all time because of how he lived the hiplife as the godfather. He has the typical western class of rap in Akan which is rare in hiplife or Ghana's rap music. And no Ghanaian Rapper can copy the class he has because he is uniquely gifted with it. Again, all those who think they know hiplife more than Reggie Rockstone are mere jokers! The grandfather of hiplife has books and a documentary about him and his hiplife, because he is the hiplife. And you cannot analyse Ghana music as a whole without including Reggie Rockstone, the hiplife in the analysis!
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(Dated 30-03-15).
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