Okyeame Kwame
Ghanaian artiste, Okyeame Kwame, has said the reluctance of young artistes to embrace the hiplife genre or label their music as such is because they see no financial benefit it would bring.
Speaking on Hitz FM’s Daybreak Hitz, he pointed out the absence of hiplife as a recognised genre on major streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, giving artistes of the genre nowhere to sell their music.
This, he explained, forces artistes to categorise their music as Afrobeat, HipHop, or Afro-Fusion to gain visibility or put them under the Alternative category, where the music would struggle to stand out in the myriad of songs.
Reflecting on the past success of hiplife during his era, he noted that the genre’s success could be attributed to the available distribution channels and the readiness of radio stations and people to enjoy the genre.
He also attributed the decline of hiplife’s popularity to the failure of older artistes to make the genre appealing to younger generations.
Okyeame Kwame proposed some solutions to the challenge, including a collaboration between relevant institutions like telecommunication companies, Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO), Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) among others, to create Ghana’s music streaming platform.
He expressed optimism, saying, “It is not beyond us. If Ghana creates its platform, where we have Adowa, Afro-fusion, Highlife, Hiplife, and others, we try our best to put it on a pedestal where a lot of young people can put their songs, where they will be optimised and visible, if we can do that, then we have created a channel for them to express themselves and make some money.”