Entertainment
“We didn’t invest in making hiplife attractive to younger acts” – Okyeame Kwame
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Celebrated Ghanaian rapper and songwriter, Okyeame Kwame has bemoaned the seeming neglect of the hiplife tag by the current crop of rappers.
According to Okyeame, a lot of young rappers in Ghana would rather want to associate with hip hop or Asakaa (Ghanaian drill) now than call themselves hiplife artistes because it is difficult to find the genre name on digital music stores.
He made these comments while interacting with Joy FM’s entertainment journalist Kwame Dadzie on X.
Dadzie who expressed worry about the lull in the hiplife field wrote: “I admire @Okyeamekwame ‘s love for hiplife and his annual hiplife concert but what is the end-goal? Your people say hiplife is dead. Even these young rappers would rather want to identify with hip hop or Asakaa than hiplife?”
Responding to the post, Okyeame explained why the younger generation of rappers may have abandoned the name hiplife.
He said although they may not use the name, technically they still do hiplife.
“A younger generation will give up on tradition when it fails them. Reference “killing the game” if they call their music hiplife, how will it fit on Spotify and other streaming sites ? People choose their business hero’s based on financial and social impact, how many heroes did hiplife create? Nuances,” he intimated.
Okyeame Kwame was then asked what was not done right. In his answer he wrote: “We didn’t build a digital platform to sell our art . We didn’t collectively turn our gifts into a multi billion business. We didn’t create a culture that was inviting enough to attract the young artiste. We didn’t invest much younger acts . We didn’t invest in research and development. We left these to chance.”
Asked if he meant hiplife had failed, he answered in the affirmative.
“Yes please! We failed to find a spot on the streaming sites. The sites do not have hiplife as a genre but has Hiphop and afro beats so why would a young person who wishes to publish his music globally call it hiplife?” he indicated.
He therefore negated the supposition that concerts meant to celebrate hiplife (like his annual hiplife concerts ) may not be necessary in recent times.
“The goal is to evoke nostalgia and also maintain the heritage of Ghana’s music genre #HIPLIFE and make sure it is not forgotten in the annals of history.
The beautiful #asakaa music is #hiplife (Hiphop + Highlife). The term hiplife has just not been used for it,” he explained.
On why the Recording Academy of the Grammy Awards chose to mention Ghanaian drill instead of its parent genre hiplife, Okyeame Kwame noted that the awards scheme operate on business basis.
“The Grammy award is not consequential here . It is an American award , they choose what will benefit their agenda financially . Do you think they involve some Ghanaian genres because they love Ghana or because they want to be relevant in Ghana ? It is business not charity,” he stated.
Another iconic hiplife artiste, TiC, shared his thought on the matter.
“Hip Life is dead.” There’s no need to start the convo this way…. Is Hip Hop dead? No, but the real hip hop is not flowing like it used to. Again it has gone through different transformations, to the extent that the real hip hop lovers will say it doesn’t sound like before, yet hip hop is still alive. Why can’t we do the same here, accept that the original versions of HipLife is not flowing but we still got it in the new vibe rather than saying it is dead. Life goes on not backwards i guess,” he posted.
Affectionately known as the Rap Doctar, Okyeame Kwame will be hosting some hiplife greats at the 5th edition of his annual Hiplife Party at the +233 Jazz Bar and Grill on December 25, 2023.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
After a show-stopping run on stage, Fiifi Coleman Productions is taking ‘I Told You So’ to the big screen.
This follows a successful roadshow tour across Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Cape Coast.
The final leg saw Cape Coast come alive on September 4 and 5, as Fiifi Coleman Productions staged a breathtaking rendition of the Bob Cole classic at the Centre for National Culture (CNC).
Patrons showed up in extraordinary numbers, filling the auditorium with energy, laughter, nostalgia and deep cultural pride. Over the two-night run, the production drew more than 2,000 patrons, making the showcase, dubbed The Afahye Experience, one of the most memorable highlights of the festival season.
Speaking to the media in an interview on Monday, September 7, Fiifi Coleman said the adaptation seeks to protect Ghana’s cultural heritage and history.
According to him, the storyline remains relevant in today’s society and the current generation has lessons to learn from it.
“The movie takes you through family responsibility, and who has the right in the family when it comes to marriage, the father or uncle?” he quizzed.
He noted that in recent times families often shelve the need to conduct necessary background checks before marriage, adding that ‘I Told You So’ brings all these issues to the fore.
He also revealed that the feature film would be due for premiere in March 2027 in commemoration of Ghana’s 70th independence celebrations.
The stage production delivered a seamless blend of humour, heritage and contemporary relevance, reminding patrons of the enduring power of Ghanaian theatre to unite communities and celebrate identity.
With its successful run on stage, the team is now taking a bold step to adapt it for cinema.
He expressed his appreciation to all stakeholders for their support in making the project a success.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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Miss World Ghana 2026, Rumzia Sule, has returned home after representing Ghana at the Miss World 2026 pageant in Vietnam.
Rumzia arrived at the Accra International Airport on Tuesday, September 8, where she received a warm welcome from members of the Miss Ghana Organisation, her fellow queens and runners-up, family members and well-wishers.
The beauty queen was welcomed with flowers and the Ghana flag as she reunited with loved ones following her international pageant journey.
Rumzia was among 111 national ambassadors who participated in the 2026 Miss World Festival in Vietnam.
The grand finale was held on September 5 in Nha Trang, where Joheirry Mola Dominguez of the Dominican Republic was crowned Miss World 2026. Elisabeth Reynés of Spain was named first runner-up, while Taanusiya Chetty of Malaysia emerged as second runner-up.
Although Ghana did not take the overall crown, Rumzia made the country proud with her strong showing in the Beauty With a Purpose segment. Her sanitation-focused project earned her a place among the Top 6 African finalists in the segment.
Her project has focused on promoting sanitation and encouraging Ghanaians to take responsibility for keeping their communities clean. As part of the project, she joined the President’s clean-up campaign and collaborated with the “Bus Stop Boys” to clean some principal streets in Accra.
She also donated GH¢10,000 to the Bus Stop Boys to support their sanitation efforts as well as victims of the Accra floods in June 2026.
Later in the year, Rumzia is expected to extend the campaign to schools, where she will engage children on the importance of maintaining a clean and healthy environment.
Rumzia earned the opportunity to represent Ghana internationally after winning the 69th Miss Ghana pageant in July 2026. The competition was held under the theme: ‘Empowering Women, Enduring Legacy.’
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
