Reggie Rockstone, the pioneer of Hiplife musical style, uncovered the story that when he started rap in Twi in the late 90s was a tough span for him and he was hugely snubbed by music lovers since they thought it was weird.
Reggie Rockstone started Hiplife movement in 1994, he alone initialized the genre which is now recognized worldwide.
Reggie Rockstone
Talking on radio, Reggie said the Ghanaian looked down over me when I start using Twi to rap.
Reggie explained the reaction of Ghanaians when he returned following spending years in the UK and US, “we were like tourists, we had a tourist vibe around us in the ways that we walked in New York or England with our knapsacks and our Timberlands and everything. But we realized that we were very intriguing to the kids…”
Rapping in English in the majority of his life when turned to Twi, “I realize we’ve got something here because they were responding to their own language…but on the same strength you had Ghanaians who looked down on me for rapping in Twi from the outset. They thought it was bush.”
Reggie, born in the UK from Ghanaian descents, is living in Ghana since he pioneered hiplife movement since 1994 and many refers him Godfather of hiplife. In 2004, he grabbed the Kora Awards for the Best African video. He has also recorded some renowned albums such as “Makaa Maka” (I’ve said it that’s it) released in 1997 and “Last Show” 2004 released in 2004.
The hiplife art, recorded mainly in Ghana’s local language, getting wild popularity in West African nations as well as abroad especially in the UK, US, Germany and Canada.