Reggie Rockstone is not the originator of hiplife, that’s the contention Pidgin Music CEO Panji Anoff has been making for a while now, and he reiterated that in a recent radio appearance.
Anoff, a controversial figure who’s worked closely with singing duo the FOKN Bois, said that Reggie built on the work done by hiplife’s true pioneers, and that whilst he popularised the genre, it is factually wrong to call him its originator.
Panji was speaking during an appearance on Daybreak Hitz.
“He’s the Godfather of hiplife.” he said, maintaining there was a difference between that and originator. “It is foolish journalists who have translated ‘Godfather’ into ‘creator’.”
He added that the real pioneers of the genre (combining elements of hip hop and highlife) included the Talking Drums, Azigiza, and Mahoney P. He said Rockstone, who he knew back then in the early 90’s, was initially wary of joining the genre; but the aforementioned pioneers “convinced Reggie to start doing Twi, because [he] didn’t do Twi before them.  He was rapping in English. Reggie came to Ghana and saw that…this Twi rap can work.”
“Reggie, himself, does not believe he is the creator of hiplife,” he continued.“I don’t believe that it is Reggie who wants to take all the credit.”
Reggie, though, has had no qualms maintaining that the grandpapa title means originator of the genre. This is a debate that would never end.

READ ALSO: Refused A UK Visa? CLICK HERE FOR HELP

---

CLICK HERE to subscribe to our daily up-to-date news!!