Legendary Ghanaian rapper and pioneer of the hiplife movement, Reggie Rockstone, has confessed that originating hiplife in Ghana was not that easy as some elite Ghanaians looked down on him when he started the movement.
Interviewed on YFM’s Myd-Morning Radio Show with Rev. Erskine as part of the ‘Made in Ghana Month’ celebration across the Global Media Alliance broadcast platforms Happy FM, eTV Ghana and across the Y-triangle (YFM Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi), Reggie shared that when he started twi rap, not everyone was in support of it and he even had people telling him that he was corrupting the kids.
“There was another fraction of elite Ghanaians who looked down on me rapping in my own language. This is a story that a lot of people don’t like to admit. When I started rapping in twi, some of the ‘dadabees’ and elites were frowning on it. They said it was too local and all but today, egg in their face”, he said.
Reggie commented that during his days of highlife origination and even when he started with his ‘Waakye in a jar’ business, he came to understand the fact that not everyone will accept and support our initiatives, however, persistence and consistency got him there and that is what people should follow.
Per this, he advised, “Every time you start something new, somebody will have something to say but just keep on grinding and you can get it right”.
By: Maureen Dedei Quaye
