10 essential Hiplife artistes: From godfather Reggie Rockstone to King Paluta

Ghana has been home to some of the most recognizable musical exports from the African continent, contributing heavily to the globalization and development of the continent’s sound.

While highlife is regarded as the country’s biggest sonic export, the introduction of hiplife some 30 years ago invigorated the Ghanaian music scene and birthed some of the country’s most important artists.

Hiplife music blends hip-hop from the West with Ghanaian highlife sounds like Jama and Kpanlogo — a sound and dance by the Ga people, who make use of nono (metal bell), fao (gourd rattle), and local drums to play beats.

These elements were fused with funk, bass, and boom-bap to create hiplife. Hiplife and hip-hop have aural similarities and both use rapping; both genres also reflect a larger culture.

While Gyedu-Blay Ambolley is considered one of the earliest rappers, as demonstrated on his 1973 song “Simigwa-Do,” the term “hiplife” was only coined in the late 1990s by genre pioneer Reggie Rockstone.

Still, American hip-hop had arrived in the Ghanaian capital of Accra by the early ’90s and local rappers began to release their own music soon after. Duo Talking Drum were among this early cohort, and their single “Aden” was an underground hit in 1993.

As a movement and culture, hiplife is also an identity,  created to encourage people to be daring in their exploration of sound. Pioneering hiplife artists like Root Eye Samini and Shatta Wale (then known as Bandana) fused dancehall and highlife in the early ’90s to make music which could connect with local audiences.

Collaborations between artists and producers have been crucial in defining the sound, evolution, and amplification of hiplife.

Just as hip-hop has developed a plethora of subgenres, hiplife has birthed other sounds such as azonto and asakaa.

An offshoot of asakaa, Ghanaian drill, was among the elements in the new Best African Music Performance Category at the 2024 GRAMMYs.

The story of hiplife includes many important producers, artists and labels, including Kassa Records, DJ Rab, Zap Mallet, Akyeame, Panji Anoff, JayQ, Hammer,  Ex Doe, Chicago, and Okomfour Kwadee. Going forward, the mantle will fall on artists like TicTac, Abrewa Nana, Appietus, and much later a younger generation including  Asem, Richie Mensah, and Beeztrap KOTM continue to amplify hiplife.

Afrobeats artists have also taken notice; Tic Tac and Tony Tetuila’s “Fefe Ne Fe” was sampled on the 2019 song “Gbese” by DJ Tunez feat. Wizkid and Blaqjerzee.

With African music continuing to gain global recognition, the rich sounds emanating from the African continent are ripe for exploration.  Read on for 10 artists who have been essential to the story of hiplife music.

Reggie Rockstone is regarded by many Ghanaians as the godfather of hiplife, having paved the path for many to pursue rapping as a career.

Working with producers like the late Rab Bakari (DJ Rab Bakari), Reggie set the ball rolling for hiplife through songs like “Tsooboi.”

His 1997 album Makaa Maka offered an early template for the sound, fusing Western-influenced hip-hop with traditional Ghanaian highlife sounds. The linguistically adept Reggie Rockstone — a Ghanaian boy who was raised in the UK and New York — rapped in both English and impeccable Ghanaian Twi to the shock and admiration of many. By this singular act, he proved that it was cool to rap in your own dialect and not necessarily in English, like American rappers of the ’90s.

Reggie’s will to make Ghanaian rap music stand out via releases like Me Na Me Kae, and Me Ka did not go unrewarded. He also scored hits with his singles “Keep Your Eyes on the Road,” “Plan Ben,” and “AH.” He has also collaborated withdancehall giant Beenie Man and Nigerian legend 2Face.

Lord Kenya rose to fame when he joined Slip Music, one of Ghana’s celebrated music labels of the late ’90s and mid-2000s. His musicality was undeniable, and his hardcore rap style was adored by many for its energetic flow and delivery.

Likened to Tupac Shakur, Kenya was very direct whenever he was on the mic. He never shied away from any lyrical battle thus earning him the title “rap heavyweight.”

His swagger on and off the mic made him a star, with many eager to catch him anytime he performed.

Lord Kenya’s street affinity, coupled with great stage performances, left a mark on Ghanaian audiences. His albums — including 1998’s Sika Card, Yesom Sika, and Sika Baa — solidified his position as one of hiplife’s most important artists.

Kenya’s hit singles “Enyomo,” “Medo” and “Sika Mpo Mfa Neho” as well as his verse on the late Daseebre Dwamena’s song, “Kookoo” ushered in a street approach to the rap scene, as seen in the careers of rappers like Kwaw Kese and Kweku Smoke in later years.

Revered, celebrated, and crowned by music rap purists in Ghana as “Rap Sofo” (high priest of rap), Obrafour influenced multiple generations of rappers in Ghana.

The artist first gained popularity in the late ’90s with his cadence and mastery over his mother tongue, Twi, as well as his storytelling, lyricism, and wisdom.

Obrafour’s flow complemented the work of legendary producer Hammer, who brought hard-hitting drums, horns, and legendary sharp chords to Obrafour’s 1999 album Pae Mu Ka.

The album is regarded as the bridge that connected older audiences who dismissed hiplife as a passing fad and the youth, who regarded hiplife as the future of Ghanaian music. Today, Pae Mu Ka is as important to hiplife as Nas’ Illmatic is to hip-hop.

Pae Mu Ka was the first of several collaborations between Obrafour and Hammer. Together, they created a sound that would influence generations of rappers. Obrafour is held in high regard by rappers such as M.anifest, Guru, Ko-Jo Cue, and Pappy Kojo.

Established in Nima, a suburb of Accra, VIP underwent significant personnel changes but never let their commitment to hiplife music falter. Original member Friction later onboarded Promzy, Prodigal, and Lazzy (who later changed his name to Zeal), and Bone championed the vision of the group for over a decade (as well as the departure of  Friction, Bone and Promzy).

Backed by the group’s diverse personalities, VIP quickly became one of the biggest music exports of the country, winning six awards at the Ghana Music Awards in (2004), including Song Of The Year for the 2003 hit title track “Ahomka Wo Mu.”

Over a two-decade period, the group released albums and scored several hits and collaborated with some of the continent’s finest, including  2Face, Patoranking and a host of others. Vision in Progress (VIP) epitomized the cultural ethos of hiplife: raw energy, passion and talent.

When Reggie Rockstone, a longtime admirer of the group, arrived in 2014, the group became  VVIP. The group’s success would be further cemented as they crossed over into Nigeria and other parts of the world. “Ahomka Wo Mu” has been sampled and interpolated by various musicians, including songs by  MUT4Y & Wizkid  and Kida Kudz.

While Twi rapping artists dominated the hiplife music industry, very few artists were successfully making music in other local dialects. Tinny — a rapper who raps in Ga, a language spoken by the people of Accra —  rose to the occasion with both rap and fashion. Another product of Hammer’s Last Two record label, Tinny had an unmatched aura that earned him the moniker “Sexy Man Tinny.”

Early aughts albums such as Makola Kwakwe, Aletse (Akwe Polo), and Kaa Bu Ame still echo in today’s industry. His later works with record producer Richie Mensah on singles like “Ringtone” and “Now I Know” further entrenched his name in Ghana’s hiplife history.

Tinny’s will to pursue rap music in Ga laid the foundation for artists such as Edem, who raps predominantly in Ewe and to a degree music duo Blackstone who performed in Dagbani. Tinny also featured in the BET Hiphop Awards International Cypher (Ghana) alongside Reggie Rockstone, Sarkodie, D Black, Edem, Kwaku-T and Baby G (2010).

In a male-dominated industry, Mzbel created change that still reverberates today through the careers of women like Amaarae, Wendy Shay, Sister Afia and Gyakie.

Following in the footsteps of those before her, like Abrewa Nana (a household name in the early 2000s for her role as one of the leading female artists in hiplife), Mzbel’s singing and rap skills were not just catchy, but thought-provoking with themes of love, sex, body positivity, and addressing abuse.

Mzbel’s non-conformity made her a target by some aspects of the industry. The general public who felt she was a bad influence on younger girls, due to the sensuality in her lyrics and imagery. Yet she was unphased.

Mzbel scored national hits with her albums Awosome, and 2005’s 16 Years, and touched on issues many regarded as controversial. The rapper stood up for women’s rights and encouraged women to be vocal about things society heavily criticizes women for.

She ensured that women were not bullied into silence but instead express themselves fully through art. Her hit single “16 Years” with the late Castro touched on the issue of sexual harassment and abuse young girls face at the hands of older men and, as such, became a national topic.

Since bursting onto the scene in 2008, Sarkodie has churned out multiple hits year after year with a unique flow and delivery.

His records touch on multiple subjects, including friendship, family, love, heartbreak, and bad governance. His hold over rap in Ghana has been extended across the continent, making him one of the most influential rappers in Africa.

In 2012, Sarkodie played a pivotal role in the amplification of azonto music (an offshoot of hiplife that melds dance music genre from the early 2010s with upbeat fast-paced sounds and witty comical lyrics) with his song “U Go Kill Me” with fellow rapper E.L. Winning “Artist Of The Decade at the” Ghana Music Awards (2019), cemented his influence and status.

Rapping predominantly in Twi, Sarkodie’s ability to find pockets on the beat has made him a frequent featured artist by the likes of Mr. Eazi, Ice Prince, Flavour, Victoria Kimani, Patoranking and a host of other important artists in Africa. Sarkodie won Best International Act: Africa (2012) and the inaugural Best International Flow at the BET Hiphop Awards in 2019.

In a time when hiplife had taken a back seat to Afrobeats and amapiano on the Ghanaian market, a group of artists from Kumasi (Kumerica) — a slang used to describe people of Kumasi who enthusiasts of American music and culture — burst onto the scene via asakaa, or Ghanaian drill.

Inspired by Pop Smoke’s drill music, the sound reflects their lifestyle on the streets of Kumasi, hiplife elements, and American hip-hop culture such as fashion.

The name asakaa originates from the word saka, a flipped slang of the Twi word kasa, which means to speak. Saka, a style of speaking where words are pronounced backwards, was heard in the songs that were released by the Asakaa Boys.

The asakaa sound is credited to the Kumasi-based Life Living Records, and signees Jay Bahd, Kawabanga, O’Kenneth, City Boy, Kwaku DMC, Reggie, Sean Lifer, Braa Benk and Skyface SDW under the moniker The Asakaa Boys.

With songs like “Akatafoc“, “Sore,” and “Agyeiwaa,” and leading the charge, Asakaa (Ghanaian Drill) has gained recognition locally and internationally in the 2020s.

Black Sherif may be young, but he has already charted a path of success for himself in Ghana’s music industry which many are yet to match. Black Sherif’s sound, writing, fashion, and mannerisms have earned him admiration.

He first tasted popularity when his song “Money” went viral in 2019; two years later he regained public attention in 2021 with his First and Second Sermon songs and after a Burna Boy cosign on “Second Sermon Remix,” Black Sherif’s popularity soared.

The artist has gone on to deliver multiple hit songs such as “Kweku The Traveller,” “Soja,” and a monstrous guest verse on Odumodu Blvck’s “Wotowoto Seasoning.”

In 2023 he won Artiste of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards and aBET Awards Best International Award. Additionally, he has performed on global stages atMOBO Awards, Wireless Festival, and 2023’s AfroNation.

With a charisma like that of Lord Kenya, King Paluta is an energetic rapper with some “thugness” in his delivery influenced by life on the streets of Kumasi.

As a young man, he often slept in the studio, where he learned how to operate the equipment in the studio and dropped his first official single in 2015.

Despite releasing music and being popular in Kumasi, he would only gain national attention in 2023 for “Yahitte,” which earned him the award as the Best New Artist at The Ghana Music Awards in 2024.

In the 2024 alone, he has scored two charting-topping singles, “Aseda” and “Makoma,” making him arguably the hottest artist in Ghana.

As a student of hiplife, King Paluta has fully embodied the genre as evident in his music. He has positioned himself to carry on the legacy of those before him as far as hiplife is concerned, and he is on track thus far.

Source: Grammy.com