I don’t suppose that there’s much argument that Reggie Ossei, A.K.A Reggie Rockstone owns the credit for originating that music genre known as hiplife, that admixture of hip-hop’s street ruggedness & the tropical melodies of highlife. Over the past 18 or so years the phenomenon has been cut and pasted across Africa, with young musicians adapting it for their local dancefloors & airwaves. Today Hiplife & its pan african adaptions are the sound of choice for young people across the continent, creating its own sub economy, but also a sub-culture whose curious signature is the grabbing of the crotch, the prevebtion of trousers from covering up the buttocks & the exposure of designer, Albeit sweaty underwear. i don’t get it. But reggie should.
