Rappers in Accra, Ghana, have fused American hip-hop with a form of Ghanaian music called highlife to create a new genre: hiplife. Living the Hiplife hangs out with several of the rappers, DJs, and producers, capturing their views on hiplife's origins and significance. Reggie Rockstone, known as “The Godfather of Hiplife,” describes how he first mimicked American styles but then in the mid-1990s began rapping in his native language, Twi, while incorporating local beats and rhythms. This sparked what another rapper calls the “lyrical revolution,” as many other artists embraced the idea, ultimately solidifying the distinct features of this new musical artform. Although the film interviews quite a few rappers, it also spends a good chunk of time with Reggie and the Mobile Boys, an up-and-coming group Rockstone is supporting and promoting, offering a glimpse into how little bling bling there is in the lives of successful Ghanaian musicians. The film's director, Jesse Weaver Shipley—a professor of African Studies—draws on his scholarly expertise, while also deftly mixing in commentary from University of Ghana professors on the cultural, historical, economic, and political contexts of hiplife. A fascinating, thoughtful, and entertaining study of creative appropriation and cultural cross-fertilization in a globalized world, Living the Hiplife is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Wadland)
Living the Hiplife
(2007) 61 min. DVD: $225. Third World Newsreel. PPR. Volume 23, Issue 3
Living the Hiplife
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