Hiplife legend Reggie Rockstone has pushed back forcefully against attempts to diminish his role in the creation of the genre, warning critics to “stop playing with my legacy” as debates over hiplife’s origins resurface.
In an interview on Starr Chat with Bola Ray on Thursday, November 27, 2025, Rockstone said he finds it troubling that more than two decades after pioneering the movement, some still question his contribution.
“I am a little bit more than the father of hiplife, I birthed it,” he insisted. “I brought the Asante Twi and rap over hip-hop beats and named it. Over 25 years after the fact, somebody says I didn’t bring hiplife, and all of you sat down and did not question this. It’s so offensive to me.”
Rockstone, widely regarded as the driver of Ghana’s modern music revolution, stressed that his influence was not limited to coining the name but building the culture around it.
“I didn’t just name it, I stood by the brand,” he explained. “If I had come and just named it and left, would it be where it is? I had hits upon hits. International collaborations. Everything you would use to describe a movement this powerful, I did.”
He added that despite shaping a genre that transformed the careers of many young artists, he has never been financially compensated for his foundational role.
“I don’t get an extra check for hiplife,” he said. “In fact, we are the sacrificial lambs. We opened the doors for you, and today, look. It’s embarrassing to me and all of us.”
Rockstone also disclosed that his friends in the wider African music industry are baffled by efforts to discredit his legacy. “My comrade 2Face in Nigeria asked, ‘Why would my people do that?’ It makes me question who I really am to my people,” he added.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Barbara Yeboah
