The first chapter places hiplife in the context of an earlier era of popular music production in ghana. Celebrity and entrepreneurship in ghanaian popular music is an ethnography of hiplife, a popular ghanaian music genre that combines hiphop with highlife music and proverbial lyrics. This work is part of a series of publications that provide an updated perspective on ghanaian highlife music since the seminal work of john collins in the 1990s highlife time accra, ghana. But, this book is probably the best summary explaining this ghana phenom called hiplife and the only biographical account of my relationship with family. Celebrity and entrepreneurship in ghanaian popular music, a new book living the hiplife celebrating hiplife music and published by one of the top academic presses in the world, duke university press, will be launched in accra on thursday april 11, 20. Hiplife in ghana, is a featurelength documentary about v. Focusing on the ghanaian musical genre of hiplife an amalgam of. Hiplife is a popular music genre in ghana that mixes hiphop beatmaking and rap with highlife music, proverbial speech, and akan storytelling. Jesse weaver shipley has written a highly compelling account of hiplife in ghana. A very polite, selfeffacing and effervescent rapper. John collins highlife time 3 will be launched 1 july in accra, ghana. M1, of dead prez jesse weaver shipley has written a highly compelling account of hiplife in ghana. The hiplife in ghana west african indigenization of hiphop h. This text presents an overview of the various popular music styles in ghana, including some of the key actors who played significant roles in their development.
Reviewed by angela animakorang southern illinois university carbondale ghanas music industry can be described as a thriving one, much like its film industry. Living the hiplife by jesse weaver shipley follows reggie rockstone at the foundation of the hiplife movement in ghana shipley also wrote the book, living the hiplife. Hiplife and this festival permitted ghanaians to fit in within african american society while still having ties to ghana. Listen to an example of hip life below and explain how it describes the current day connection of hiplife to the highlife music of mensah. Jan, 2020 you have subscribed to alerts for nana prah you will receive an email alert if one or more of the authors youre following has a new release. Celebrity and entrepreneurship in ghanaian popular music ebook written by jesse weaver shipley. From highlife to hiplife a guide to ghanaian music accra is one of africas leading musical cities and the spiritual home of a style thats been taking over. Vvip hustle vvip selfie vvip omg dblack kotomoshi vvip dogo yaro. Highlife music flourished in coastal west africa between the 1920s and 1960s as artists creatively recombined european, african, and black diasporic styles and instruments. Therefore this book is more than a look at the recent past and the present. Duke university press announces the publication of a new book living the hiplife. Living the hiplife is a wellbalanced ethnographic account of the current popular music scene in ghana. The hiplife in ghana explores one international site ghana, west africa where. An ethnographer, sociolinguist, filmmaker of living the hiplife, and haverford college anthropologist, shipley offers up a heady mix of political, business, and music history, of entrepreneurship and.
The hiplife in ghana explores one international site ghana, west africa where hiphop music and culture have morphed over two decades into the hiplife genre of world music. Hiplife in ghana and the book the hiplife in ghana. Living the hiplife jesse weaver shipley 9780822353669. Oct 03, 2015 from highlife to hiplife a guide to ghanaian music accra is one of africas leading musical cities and the spiritual home of a style thats been taking over the world in recent years. Generally, hiplife can be defined as a ghanaian musical style which fuses highlife and some elements of hiphop. Ghana s popular musical forms is said to have evolved around the beginning of the 20th century. Opening this book to virtually any page yields a judiciously selected text that reveals something about ghana. The hiplife in ghana west african indigenization of hip. It investigates hiplife music not merely as an imitation and adaptation of hiphop, but as a reinvention of ghanas centuryold highlife popular music tradition. Hiplife group vvip has released a new music video directed by one of its members, reggie rockstone. Not only does hiplife celebrate entrepreneurship among african youth. Ghana s musical map was once dominated by highlife a genre so. It investigates hiplife music not merely as an imitation and adaptation of hiphop, but as a revision of ghanas own centuryold popular music called highlife.
The hiplife in ghana halifu osumare bok 97817021649. West african indigenization of hiphop, was pulbished in september 2012 by palgrave macmillan, and launched in ghana and london in october 2012. The chapters tell tales of aspiration, commodity culture, and celebrity to show how life in urban accra is intimately linked to the increasingly transnational lives of african youth. Shipleys new book accomplishes more than its title implies, spanning. Celebrity and entrepreneurship in ghanaian popular music shipley, jesse. Stream ghana old skool hiplife mix 2015 by deejaykkgh by djkk kofi agyeman prempeh from desktop or your mobile device. Over the past decade, hiphop music has merged with highlife, the traditional music of west africa, and this fusion has led to the birth of a new musical genre called hiplife. Living the hiplife is a necessary analysis of african word, sound, and power. Hiplife is a ghanian genre of music which combines the indigenous genre highlife and the imported hip hop. Though the show was set to start at 8 oclock, the first act had yet to take the stage an hour later, and a steady stream of patrons accustomed to dilatory start times continued casually to.
Aug 07, 2014 ghanas beloved music group vip revamped as vvip with reggie rockstone as a new member is paying a touching tribute to those who paved the way in the ghanaian hiplife music genre with this video to their song book of hiplife. Ghana old skool hiplife mix 2015 by deejaykkgh by djkk kofi. The hiplife in ghana explores one international site, ghana, west afr. In ghana, what are the colonial structures that al. Vvip drops new video book of hiplife directed by reggie. Halifu osumare published on november, 20 by halifu osumare books to read online. Halifu osumare is the author of the africanist aesthetic in global hiphop 3.
Documenting the hiplife story of ghana featuring music selections from ghanaexpo. Hiplife is a popular music genre in ghana that mixes hiphop beatmaking and rap. In 1997 and 1998, i went back to ghana and, literally, there were hundreds, thousands of kids going to rap. Historically and ethnographically rich, it demonstrates how this musical form has affected ideas of ghanaian identity. By taking to instagram live last night, in a highlypublicised music matchup, jq and appietus, preeminent ghanaian producers and pop culture architects were honouring an unspoken invitation by their mates elsewhere while serving up a hiplife masterclass. Jun 21, 2018 john collins highlife time 3 will be launched 1 july in accra, ghana. By default you will receive a daily digest containing any books that were published by authors in your subscription list. In ghana, what are the colonial structures that allow for an african characterized development of highlife. It is an ethnography of hiplife, a popular ghanaian music genre that builds on panafricanist networks to combine. During hiplife concerts and festivals, there is an importance of space which allows people to completely engage in a fullbody experience, affected by the concerts sights and sounds. Covering 500 years of ghanas history, the ghana reader provides a multitude of historical, political, and cultural perspectives on this iconic african nation. Celebrity and entrepreneurship in ghanaian popular music. Book on ghanaian highlife to be released music in africa.
Author halifu osumare traces the process by which local. The new book is the second sequel to the original highlife time. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read living the hiplife. If you like, you can change the digest interval below. The video, book of hiplife, follows the roaring success chalked up by their first single. The hiplife in ghana book, authored by professor halifu osumare, a black american associate professor of african american studies and the director of the african american and african studies at the university of california, davis in usa, was launched and presented at the institute of african studies, university of ghana on thursday october 18th 2012. West africa indigenization of hiphop, new york, ny. The hiplife in ghana west african indigenization of hiphop. Jesse weaver shipley examines the production, consumption, and circulation of hiplife music, culture, and fashion in relation to broader cultural and. Sep 04, 2012 the hiplife in ghana explores one international site, ghana, west africa, where hiphop music and culture has morphed over two decades into a whole new form of world music called hiplife.
Published by dakpabli and associates, the book is an account of the evolution of the genre, which is sometimes referred to as ghanas most important genre. Reggie rockstone is putting the hiplife story out there and together with his vvip group members, theyve released a new music video which summaries the hiplife journey for uscalled book of hiplife. The musicians are at once artists, entrepreneurs, and hustlers. Halifu osumare the hiplife in ghana explores one international site ghana, west africa where hiphop music and culture have morphed over two decades into the hiplife genre of world music.
Halifu osumare author of the africanist aesthetic in. There are many styles of traditional and modern music of ghana, due to ghana s cosmopolitan geographic position on the african continent. Living the hiplife is an ethnographic account of hiplife in ghana and its diaspora, based on extensive research among artists and audiences in accra, ghanas. Mar 28, 2014 the first chapter places hiplife in the context of an earlier era of popular music production in ghana. The best known modern genre originating in ghana is highlife. It is often characterized by simple twi lyrics with several other ghanaian languages used later over hiphop beats, with highlife samples andor palmwine rhythms.
Kwaku nti, journal of global south studies a wonderful introduction to ghana and its people, stretching all the way back to prehistoric times. Shipley tackles issues including, but not limited to, how ghana youth use hiplife music as tools to help them create their identity and gain recognition in the society. In the 1990s, young ghanaian musicians were drawn to hiphops dual ethos of black masculine empowerment and capitalist success. The ghana reader is a treasure trove of information. It investigates hiplife music not merely as an imitation and adaptation of hiphop, but as a revision of ghana s own centuryold popular music called highlife. Shipley has followed the rise of the hiplife movement in ghana for the past decade. Whether discussing the asante kingdom and the gold coasts importance to european commerce and transatlantic slaving, ghanas brief period under british colonial rule, or the emergence of its modern democracy, the volumes eighty. From highlife to hiplife a guide to ghanaian music time out. Living the hiplife hiplife is a popular music genre in ghana that mixes hiphop beatmaking and rap with highlife music, proverbial speech, and akan storytelling. The hiplife in ghana explores one international site, ghana, west africa, where hiphop music and culture has morphed over two decades into a whole new form of world music called hiplife.
Present halifu osumares new book the hiplife in ghana. For many years, highlife was the preferred music genre. Hiplife is a popular music genre in ghana that mixes hiphop beatmaking. Ghana s beloved music group vip revamped as vvip with reggie rockstone as a new member is paying a touching tribute to those who paved the way in the ghanaian hiplife music genre with this video to their song book of hiplife watch below. The hiplife in ghana explores one international site ghana, west africa where hiphop music and culture have morphed over two decades. This group has become one of ghanas most well known hiplife music groups, and subject of documentaries such as homegrown. Friction is the founder and former leader of the legendary ghanaian hiplife music group vip now vvip. It investigates hiplife music not merely as an imitation and adaptation of hiphop, but as a reinvention of ghana s centuryold highlife popular music tradition. Oct 19, 2012 the hiplife in ghana book, authored by professor halifu osumare, a black american associate professor of african american studies and the director of the african american and african studies at the university of california, davis in usa, was launched and presented at the institute of african studies, university of ghana on thursday october 18th 2012.
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