‘It’s a typing mistake’ -Reggie Rockstone on hiplife not mentioned in Grammys Best African Music Performance category
Reggie Rockstone, who is arguably regarded as the originator of Hiplife music has stated that he is very certain that Grammys exclusion of the popular Ghanaian music style in its new Best African Music category is a typing mistake.
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Expressing his displeasure during Joy FM’s Twitter Spaces hosted by Kwame Dadzie on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, Reggie Rockstone said it was unfortunate the genre which has given prominence to many Ghanaian artistes has been ignored by Grammys’ Recording Academy.
“Here is another thing that came up. A lot of times when people talk about hiplife and highlife they get them confused. So somebody said to me ‘Reggie, it could have been a typo. So many times people have confused hiplife with highlife because they sound so similar.
“All the same, I am happy that we are in there because it could have gone the other way but it definitely became an eyebrow raiser when I realised the old lady hiplife wasn’t in there. The old lady’s grandmama is in there. That’s highlife. Even Mapouka is in there.
“Hiplife is what sparked the revolution and you can also go back and check before the re-emergence of Afrobeats with the ‘s’. And Nigeria knows this. We’ve always parlayed. We are cousins but you can never do without the old lady hiplife. You gotta be joking,” Reggie Rockstone said.
On Tuesday, June 13, Ghana’s Highlife music and Drill were recognised as part of relevant African music styles for the Best African Music Performance category at this year's Grammy.
“Best African Music Performance’ category as “a track and singles category that recognizes recordings that utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent.
Highlighting regional melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions, the Category includes but is not limited to the Afrobeat, Afro-fusion, Afro Pop, Afrobeats, Alte, Amapiano, Bongo Flava, Genge, Kizomba, Chimurenga, High Life, Fuji, Kwassa, Ndombolo, Mapouka, Ghanaian Drill, Afro-House, South African Hip-Hop, and Ethio Jazz genres,” the category definition states.
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