Reggie Rockstone has weighed in on Stonebwoy’s ongoing effort to have his name recognized in a Grammy article that acknowledged Hiplife influencers but excluded him.
Despite the opinions of many Ghanaians, including industry experts and Shatta Wale, who have suggested to Stonebwoy that the article is not as flawed as he claims, the Bhim Nation boss maintains that it was a mistake for him to be omitted.
In response, Reggie Rockstone stated on Class FM that the genre represented by Stonebwoy is unrelated to Hiplife.
“That has nothing to do with Hiplife. That’s another fusion that he created. That’s not my road, I don’t know that [theme].
“I know about the style. I’ve heard the style. I know what he did with that. But it doesn’t speak to the story of Hiplife. We’re talking about what he created – Afro-Dancehall,” Reggie stated firmly.
Rockstone also recognized that musical genres do not emerge in isolation; rather, they are shaped by their predecessors.
He identified Hiphop as the foundational influence, referring to it as “the mother tree” from which his Hiplife music evolved, representing a fusion of Highlife and Hiphop.
He said: “If we want to be truthful, most music styles borrow from everywhere. A little bit here, a little bit there. Calypso… Even Highlife itself. We would have never had Highlife without the diasporic influence. They all borrow.”
While he contended that Afro-Dancehall should not be classified as Hiplife music, the rap icon acknowledged and praised the incorporation of Dancehall influences in the evolution of Hiplife, particularly during the 2000s.
“You see, rap in itself and Dancehall – what the Jamaicans deem chatting, you know, the whole style is non-conforming.
“You can translate Hiphop in so many forms. You can do Gospel rap… Rap is so flexible. You can [use it] to address issues… Nothing surprises me, thus,” Reggie Rockstone said.
He further added, “So Yoggi Doggi and them, they might have been doing the Jamaican-style, Patois-driven vibration over a Highlife-type beat or Ghanaian-friendly beat.
“This was what Samini was very popular for. So when he’d do Linda – Linda is a perfect example – he was still doing his Jamaica theme [or] vibe on there but the music really relates to Ghanaians. So, yes, it can fall into the Hiplife category, easily.”
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