In a recent documentry by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) titled Hiplife Rewind, rap artist M.anifest declared that Hiplife was no more.
Hiplife is no longer, the rap star asserted in the documentary.
Rapper from Ghana claims that hip-hop is extinct because young people are no longer interested in it.
He shifted in his seat and sat up, declaring, “Hiplife is dead because the younger people, who are the source of the music, do not identify with Hiplife.
He claimed that hip-hop tastemakers were also a part of the genre’s demise since they were at one point too traditional to acknowledge and take part in West African music’s development.
He said, “The originators of Hiplife were a little too precious about what it should be so as new versions sonically were happening, you could hear people saying, “Oh, this Jama, this Azonto, is watered down, it’s not real,” adding that by insisting on the “idea of real,” these industry powers failed to recognize that: “You have to evolve or perish [and that] is what any music form has to understand.”
“Hiplife’s gatekeepers refused to admit that Hiplife was evolving, which was necessary.
The situation must change, “He was tense.
“The thing must change if it is to survive.”
The documentary highlights artists who contributed significantly to the development of the genre and shows how they tried to make the music appealing to western listeners.
Ghanaian megastars including VVIP (previously VIP), Tic (formerly Tic Tac), Lord Kenya, BukBak, 4×4, Kontihene, Obrafour, Okyeame Kwame, M.anifest, M3nsa, Sarkodie, etc. were all born under the Hiplife genre.
