Gyedu Blay Ambolley
Veteran Ghanaian musician and songwriter Gyedu Blay Ambolley insists he is the founder of rap music in the world.
Although Ghanaians generally accept that hiplife artiste Reggie Rockstone introduced rap music in Ghana, Ambolley contends he only did not start rap music in Ghana, but in the world and has documents to support his claim.
Speaking on Entertainment Capital on Accra 100.5fm Saturday, May 14, he told host DJ Premier that even the Guinness Book of World Records got it wrong as far as who the originator of rap is concerned.
Guinness Book of Records credits the Sugarhill Gang, an American hip hop group as the founders of rap music.
“My first recorded rap music in the world was released in 1973 when you check Sugarhill Gang, they released theirs around 1978/79 at that time, my rap music had already been released. The document to prove that is my recording and newspaper publications in connection with my album and they are all documents I have kept as evidences,” he said.
“Rap music is African and not American. It began here in Africa. When our chiefs are sitting in state, there is a linguist that rains appellations on the chiefs and these are all rap,” he noted.
