Hip-life, a Grammy article, Stonebwoy

In the early 90s, Ghana’s music scene could be said to have undergone a sort of renaissance. The country’s unique sound; Highlife was being remixed into other genres.

But what stood out was Hip-life, a fusion of Highlife and Hip-hop, various artistes, including Reggie Rockstone, Okyeame Kwame, Obrafour and many others took the scene by rapping in the popular Akan Twi.

An article published on the official Grammys website on August 21, 2024, attempted to list some notable artistes who had influenced the Hiplife sound with their works.

The article listed acts like VIP, Sarkodie, Reggie Rockstone, Obrafour, Black Sharif, Lord Kenya etc

The article, however, did not go down well with Reggae/Dancehall musician, Stonebwoy who called out the writer and the Recording Academy for failing to include him in the list.

In a fiery post on his X handle on August 23, 2024, Stonebwoy posted, “Whoever wrote this article is interestingly missing the name ‘Stonebwoy.’ Recording Academy, do due diligence before you publish half-dozed articles aiming to capture the true image of the State of the Ghanaian Sound.”

Stonebwoy’s post was met with backlash from many on social media who questioned why the Reggae/Dancehall musician wanted to be included in a list of Hip-life artistes.

The controversy also sparked discussions on the Hip-life music scene, its pioneers, influential personalities and documentation.

Entertainment journalist Olele Salvador, in a submission, explained that the article focused on key figures in the evolution of Hiplife, not Reggae/Dancehall, despite some artistes like Samini and Shatta Wale (formerly Bandana) having significant Hiplife hits.

He emphasised that these artistes, including Yogi Dogi and Sonni Bali, deserve "honourable mentions" for their contributions during a specific era.

Salvador clarified that Stonebwoy's prominence came later when Reggae/Dancehall became a standalone genre in Ghana.

Stonebwoy, in reply, clarified his frustration with the article, questioning why some Hip-life artistes were not mentioned in it. He also argued that he should have been included in the list because he was inspired by many of the artistes mentioned and has himself made an impact in the music scene in Ghana.

“@OleleSalvador You should have just mentioned me in that your submission so that we will have a discerning conversation because the article is factually half-dozed and it’s not an opinion because Honorable mentions without @PrinceBright_NY (bukbak), @VVipGhana, @iamobrafour, @kwawkese, @LordKenya_one, #Omanhene #akatakyie #Praye @Okyeamekwame.

“When it comes to HIPLIFE is a serious disservice to Ghana music. That being an era of a solid foundation that will serve as an immediate inspiration to my likes, it’s an error not to Capture STONEBWOY in anything Ghana Music Today. Period on thick flow!” he posted.

Netizens once again were quick to point out that some of the artistes he mentioned were already captured in the article.

The discussion wasn’t left to just Stonebwoy, other artistes who were captured in the article including Shatta Wale, Kwaw Kese and Obrafour acknowledged their mentions in the piece.

But in all, the controversy has sparked much-needed conversations about the music industry in the country, the artistes who have made an impact in it and the genres they have made the most impact in.

See the posts below:

In the 1990s, artists and producers from Accra merged the sound and aesthetic of American hip-hop with their Ghanaian sounds and culture.

The resulting genre, hiplife, significantly influenced the music coming from Ghana and the African continent. ⤵️https://t.co/5GZxutOfAC
— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) August 20, 2024

Who ever wrote this article is interestingly missing THE NAME @stonebwoy
.@RecordingAcad Do Due Diligence before you publish half dozed articles aiming to capture the true image of the State of the Ghanaian Sound. https://t.co/uWzvurB3uv pic.twitter.com/NDqZgRqaJs
— 1GAD (@stonebwoy) August 23, 2024

@OleleSalvador You should have just mentioned me in that your submission so that we will have a discerning conversation.
Cz the article is factually half dozed and it’s not an opinion because Honorable mentions without @PrinceBright_NY (bukbak) @VVipGhana @iamobrafour @kwawkese…
— 1GAD (@stonebwoy) August 23, 2024