Your facts are far from the truth - Quophie Okyeame shamed

Wait, this issue of who originated hiplife is getting more attention. Quohpie Okyame came out over the weekend with his “Hiplife Facts” telling Ghanaians on how the music genre started.

Days after Quophie came out, Pigin Music boss, Panji Anoff has corrected him on the facts he released on his social media page.

Panji Anoff trying to correct Quophi wrote;

Oh Okyeame Quophi!!! Only ONE of your FIVE “facts” is even close to correct!!!

1. That the genre was “conceived by Mike Cooke” is so far from the truth. No matter how desperate you are to correct the misconception that Reggie invented Hiplife, let us not try and replace an artist with a radio station owner who was supported a local phenomena.

Don’t forget VIBE FM started out as a local station which had the first Twi programs Private Fm (Odeefuor). Why would Mike Cooke conceive the genre? Was he producing artists or music at the time??? For your information JOY FM was the only private FM station in Ghana at the time the Hiplife phenomenon started to grow.

Ask Mark Okraku Mantey. He was the DJ at Balm Tavern from 1992. Ask him when he started playing Hiplife in his club. He later worked at JOY FM, but prior to that it was KKD on GBC. Not forgetting Azigiza Jnr.

2. The title of the song was “Chooboi”, not “Hiplife”. Hiplife is a word mentioned in the song, but Hiplife was an existing bandwagon.

Talking Drums opened for Public Enemy at Independence Square long before Reggie even came to Ghana.

That performance inspired Reggie Rockstone who was a Public Enemy fan (living and rapping in London at the time), who had never had the chance to open for Public Enemy.

Talking Drums called their music Hiplife. So even Chuck D knew what Hiplife was before Reggie Rockstone recorded his song. Public Enemy came to Ghana, and invited Talking Drums to open for them in recognition of an indigenous Hip Hop movement they recognized and acknowledged.

Talking Drums performed live with none other than the late great Mac Tontohs Osibisa Kete Band.

Mac Tontoh was a genius and musical visionary/pioneer who supported Talking Drums because he recognized what they were doing was the future. Both “Akwaaba” and “Aden” WERE RECORDED IN MAC TONTOHS HOUSE IN 1993 by his engineer Mike Swai when there were no studios recording rap music in Ghana!

3. Shame on you.

4. Correct. Hiplife is not Twi Rap. That is why Talking Drums, who were rapping in English, Pidgen and Twi over CK Mann and Osibisa samples in 1993 and called their music HIPLIFE deserve the credit.

5. No comment.