The national awards have come and gone but this issue can not pass without comment.

Almost every entertainment enthusiast was outraged at the National Awards, the highest award of the land, to be presented to some personalities especially in the arts and entertainment sector.

Many expressed their reservations about some musicians picking the grand medals and all those who groused had points to prove, but for me, I can’t comprehend why the genre hiplife was snubbed for the second consecutive time.

Hiplife missed out last year when the awards were revived last year and I was particularly gutted at the outcome - and for the selection committee not to recognize hiplife again is unacceptable.

With more than a decade in existence and the impact it has had on the music industry, some personality from the hiplife fraternity deserved something. A hiplife producer, a hiplife record engineer and a hiplife artiste should have been decorated with a grand medal.

Last year, most of our veteran actors and some musicians were decorated and this year highlife and gospel reigned, so why sidestep hiplife?

The organizers of the awards, the Government of Ghana are sending a simple message – that our so-called hiplife has done absolutely nothing to merit an award.

The same brand of music that our political wits use for their political theme songs, the same brand of music that has become a lucrative career for many and the same brand that has taken hustlers from the streets, giving them the power and confidence to pursue something meaningful.

Did I hear somebody quip that hiplife hasn’t reached that stage to receive such an award?

What stage? In fact, what level are we talking about? After more than a decade, I can confidently state that hiplife has promoted Ghana more than any Ghanaian brand of music.

The Black Stars of Ghana were accorded the Order of the Volta for holding aloft the flag of Ghana at the World Cup and Ike Quartey was deservedly honoured for making the national anthem popular at world acclaimed boxing arenas. The same way, hiplife has promulgated Ghana at one of the prestigious awards, MOBO Awards via Samini, KORA Awards through Reggie Rockstone, Abraham Ohene-Djan, Tagoe Sisters and Praye, Channel O Awards through VIP and Phamous People.

So I need answers as to why hiplife was ignored again? The perception that hiplife is done by rogues and makes less sense should be erased. There are many old folks who enjoy hiplife that anything else – go see them nod and sing along to it in their offices, in their cars and dance to it at their parties.

Every recipient of the award deserved it, but then if Grace Ashy can pick a medal for promoting national agenda, why shouldn’t Obrafour, Lord Kenya or Obour also pick an award for doing same. `If Diana Akiwumi can pick an award for being in MUSIGA, then of course, give Tic Tac something for also being in MUSIGA.

And if Cindy ‘Awurade Kasa’ Thompson can pick an award for doing a so-called political song, then you might as well honour A-Plus, after all, they are doing the same political songs.

The above analogies are just a tongue-in-cheek but on a serious note, hiplife has contributed something to the music industry. Honouring it would encourage many to pursue it, producers to produce it, marketers to market it and promoters to promote it, and then it can annex more laurels for the nation.

In as much as I am advocating for a hiplife award, I also entreat some of our hiplife artistes to get their act together, drop the obscenity, the senseless lyrics, and the repetitions of lyrics.

Suggestive lyrics don’t sell music; it’s funny that the people who jam and sing your vulgar song at events and parties won’t buy the records to play in their homes because they know the content is repulsive and that result in low sales, which sees to gospel and highlife dominating the charts always.

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