Okyeame Kwame Names The Two True Pillars of Hiplife
Hiplife is Ghana’s gift to Africa. But who really built it? Where does it come from? And who deserves the ultimate credit? That question came up again when Ghanaian rap legend Okyeame Kwame appeared on Adom TV’s popular current affairs and lifestyle programme, Badwam.
The host asked him a loaded question many people from Kumasi have debated for years: “Would you credit Hiplife to Oseikrom?
Okyeame Kwame’s answer was honest, humble, and historic. “Oh no no no. I think it’ll be completely wrong. I credit hiplife to two key people. I credit it to Zapp Mallet for creating the sound and Reggie Rockstone for making the lifestyle and the sound popular. So I think these are the two key pillars of hiplife music; Zapp Mallet for the sonic experience and Reggie Rockstone for the rap and lifestyle. Because I remember Reggie Rockstone will wear his Camo jeans, Timberland and socks, white singlet, with his dreadlocks, and screaming chooboi. It was a beautiful experience.”
And just like that, he settled it.
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For years, fans have argued about who started Hiplife. Okyeame Kwame, one half of the legendary duo Akyeame, broke it down into two simple pillars:
1. Zapp Mallet – The Architect of the Sound
Before Hiplife had a name, it needed a sound. Legendary sound engineer and producer Zapp Mallet is credited with engineering and producing some of the earliest Hiplife records. He fused Highlife melodies and percussion with Hip-hop drums and rap cadences, creating that sonic template that artists could now jump on. He gave Hiplife its beat.
2. Reggie Rockstone – The Godfather of the Lifestyle
If Zapp Mallet built the house, Reggie Rockstone brought everyone inside and threw the party. When Reggie returned to Ghana in the early 90s, he didn’t just bring rap, he brought a whole culture.
Okyeame Kwame described it perfectly: the camo jeans, the Timberland boots, the white singlet, the dreadlocks, and the iconic “Chooboi” shout. Reggie made it cool to rap in Twi, Pidgin and English. He made Hiplife not just music you listened to, but a lifestyle you wanted to live. That is why he is still called the Grandpapa.
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It would have been easy for Okyeame Kwame, a proud Asante man and a Kumasi-based icon, to claim Hiplife for Oseikrom. After all, Kumasi produced some of the genre’s biggest hiplife artistes; Akyeame, Lord Kenya, Okomfour Kwadee, and many more.
But by refusing to do that, Okyeame Kwame showed the maturity of an elder statesman. He reminded us that Hiplife is bigger than tribal or regional pride. It is a national movement built on sound engineering genius and cultural bravery.
Zapp Mallet for the sonic experience. Reggie Rockstone for the rap and lifestyle. That, according to Okyeame Kwame, is the true foundation of Hiplife.
