Of late, folks Hiplife has come under strong criticism that the man everybody believe, started it all has also added his voice to this self-destructive game play.
It is very sad to hear people so called connoisseurs to say all sorts of things about the current rejuvenated genre called Hiplife as if it is the bane of the industry’s woes. But what most of them have forgotten is the global dynamism music has taken of which it has gone a tremendous metamorphosis. With the advent of computer a lot of additions and subtractions have taken place all over the world so if we have our blend let us uphold it and mould it to international standard. To me Hiplife will stand every tendency to redefine the future dimension of Ghanaian music.
Hiplife is not about noise or rubbish but a rare masterpiece, which came to rescue High Life at a time when people have nothing to listen or choose from except music from Caribbean’s (Soka) and Nigeria at a time when our Clubs or Joints play about 95% of funky and the 5% is shared among highlife music, reggae and Soka. Today, thank to Hiplife the same Clubs and Joints made foreign songs to straggle for airtime.
So the emergence of Hiplife at a time when our youths were looking for a savior, Reggie readily and steadily appeared on the scene to deliver his peoples through his revolution hence his title Oseikrom President. The blending and repackaged of the old system, taking into consideration the indigenous rhythm and beat, even though, there was initial problems of cut and copy instrumentation from the Western world with rap-over.
It is true that most of them have not been able to make it to the international level by this trend but are they to be blamed? NO, this is because if we don’t have big time record labels like EMI and say SONY to promise our WORKS to the international level how are they going to reach there.
We live in a country with about 10 million people of voting age yet we can’t get 500,000 to one million of them patronizing our music. I don’t believe that our inability as a people to accept changes and adapt to current happenings is our problem but we rather talk a lot without given alternative and solution.
2Face is not doing any serious African beat but he is making it big because he has a label, which thinks beyond the horizon. Ok, look at Nat Brew (Amandzeba) Rex Oman, Kojo Antwi among the few who are still meandering their way through what we love to be identified with as a home breed High life who continue to sing in our Yaa Amponsah rhythm yet they have not been able to make it to the world stage. Why? It is all about promotions and international links.
Musicians all over the world are supported and under protective laws which makes them derive better deals outside their music but in this part of the world everything look haphazardly.
Just imagine the recent confirmation by Amandzeba about the LOC’s treatment meted out to him. People are prepared to part with huge sums of money to foreign artists than local ones, but don’t forget, the local ones always end up heroes during such gigs.
Notwithstanding, our musicians must begin to realize that there are so many themes that they can talk about than the empty lyrics they dish out without coordination, off beat and in cohesive delivery. We need to do a lot to improve the gains made already.
In my candid opinion, I think we must accept and embrace the renaissance in the music industry, After 10-years of its existence, I think, there has been a lot of improvement and if any loop holes have been identified what stops stakeholders to hold seminars, symposium and workshops for the our engineers, producers, distributors and presenters to improve their quality to attract the international market. If DJs decide to play one song more than one hour whiles there are varieties to choose from, we can move forward.
We, as a people should note that Hiplife is not to usurp the ‘powers’ of High Life or sort of scourge but they have to work closely to attain whatever vision our forefathers have bestowed on us, else posterity will not forgive us especially the present generation. Hiplife speaks to the youth more than any outlets.
Everybody looks to the youth to stand tall in order to guide the youth in a positive direction and I don’t think most of these guys are the problem but those to make it thick and acceptable.
