Reggie Rockstone

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Reggie Rockstone (Reginald Osei, the Godfather of Hiplife) is a rapper of Ghanaian descent, born in Britain and raised in Ghana; but lived a few years in the United States. He has been living in Ghana continuously since he pioneered the Hip-Life movement in 1994. He pioneered the Hiplife artform and has played an important role in the development of this uniquely African genre in Ghana's capital Accra. He raps in Twi and English.[1] In 2004, Rockstone won the Kora Award for the best African Video and he performed in front of a 50,000 person crowd in Ghana, together with Shaggy.[2] In 2006 he recorded a track with the Jamaican Dancehall singer Beenie Man called 'Chukku Chakka' (in reference to Rockstone's 1999 hit, 'Eye Mo De Anaa', which sampled Fela Kuti). His enduring influence lies in catalyzing the evolution of Ghana's music. The eighties had seen the emergence of Burgher highlife on the back of George Darko's inventiveness and sonic brilliance. Hiplife added to this continuum and showed the capacity of Ghanaian music to innovate and respond to contemporary realities.

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[edit] Style

Reggie's style incorporates and reflects the call and response style which runs through African music - a style dating over three millennia. His song Agoo off the Maka Maka album reflects this approach vividly. Fundamentally an intelligent storyteller, Reggie has attempted to tell the story of contemporary Ghana from an urban perch: the struggles,contradictions, triumphs and hopes. "NightLife in Accra" is one classic track which delineates the socio-political concerns of Reggie's artistic endeavours. His lyrical endurance and power also lies in immortalizing the slang of Ghanaian languauges of our era on wax. His radio voice deployed - one time relaxed; at other times impassioned - in a calculated, targeted fashion is a call to Africa's place in the world; the possibility of the impossible; self worth and dignity; Ghana's transformation and the unity of the human family.

[edit] Albums

Rockstone recorded three albums for the Kassa Records label:

  • Makaa Maka (I Said It Because I Said It), 1997
  • Me Na Me Kae (I Was The One Who Said It), 1999
  • Me Ka (I Will Say), 2000
  • Last show, 2004

[edit] References

  1. ^ BBC: "Accra reclaims hip-hop", 4 November 2003
  2. ^ BBC Radio One: "Ghanaian artists you'll be hearing across Ras' shows"

[edit] External links