H
e is arguably the most celebrated personality in Ghana. The history of
Ghanaian music cannot be narrated without his name and contributions
being mentioned. Returning from New York to Ghana, Reggie Rockstone
was on the quest to change the face of Ghanaian music - a quest that has got
him a place in history. Reginald Ossei born to celebrated Ghanaian fashion
designer Ricky Ossei returned to Ghana in 1994 to start a new movement
– the Hiplife movement - a movement that was welcomed with open arms and gave rise to
renowned rappers like Obrafour, Okomfo Kwadee, Lord Kenya and Okyeame Kwame.
What is Hiplife? How did it start? Who started it all? The Grandpapa, Reggie Rockstone
took some time off his busy schedules to answer these questions for us. He also talked about
fatherhood and infidelity.
RR: Yes, I wanted to surprise my brother.
Interview by Eugene Ossei
CM: How did you feel?
Photography by Franklin Gyan
RR: You mean the love?
CM: Yes
Colossium Magazine: Let’s begin with
RR: The love was amazing. But I give love
Mojistone.
back so it’s level. I think my relevance is to be
Reggie Rockstone: Mojistone is a
studied as far as music and the art of staying
combination of my ‘Ashantiness’ and my
relevant is concerned. I fit in everywhere.
‘Brooklynness’ which makes my skits unique. It was overwhelming when I stepped up on
Here’s what happened, I got this new iPhone
that stage.
which comes with the emoji thing but lucky
CM: Talk about being studied, do you think
for me because of my hat and my dread it fit
you’re being studied enough?
perfectly then I put the voice behind it.
RR: In the States yes. There a couple of
CM: What got you started with that?
universities that have a course about me;
RR: My kids put everything together for me
there are actually two books about me. There
and I simply slapped the name Mojistone
is also a documentary about me called ‘Living
on it. I think my first material had to do
The Hiplife’ and Ghanaians have no clue.
with the out of town girls who had come
CM: I’m talking about Ghana
down in December and that got people
RR: You know our people hahaha it’s called
really laughing. Along the line I realized that
the Jesus syndrome.
when I mix it English with Twi it gets more
CM: When we talk about relevance you’re
interesting.
perhaps the most relevant music artiste in
CM: You’ve not been doing it much these
Ghana considering the generation you belong
days.
to.
RR: Yeah not as much as before because I lost RR: I’m past my 50s now but people still
the phone and I’ve been really busy.
pay respect. So far it’s been quality coming
CM: Have you ever thought of doing standup? from me. I dropped 11-11 with Sarkodie and
RR: D-Black has always wanted me to do
everyone was surprised because I flow like a
standup. I always used to make him laugh.
new school artiste.
But if I should want to do it then it has to be
CM: Talk about Sarkodie I saw a tweet from
on my terms hahaha.
you online and in the tweet you called him a
CM: And you were at Obrafour’s Pae Mu Ka
‘Beast’, was that a genuine tweet?
concert, tell me about that.
RR: Why would I battle him? I may be crazy
52 | Colossium . March 2020