Legendary rapper Kwame Nsiah-Apau known professionally as Okyeame Kwame expressed disappointment in the current state of hiplife in Ghana, asserting that the genre is in a coma.Okyeame Kwame asserted he bears responsibility for not passing it on to the next generation.

In an interview on Starr Chat with Bola Ray, Okyeame Kwame explained that the lack of young artists interested in carrying the torch for hiplife is a major issue.

He further admitted that he and other pioneers have failed the younger generation of hiplife artists.

Comparing the success of hiplife in the Western world to Ghana, Okyeame Kwame emphasised that not enough has been done to uphold the genre in Ghana.

He noted that the passing of the mantle, as seen with artists like Big Daddy Kane and Jay Z, has not been effectively implemented in Ghana.“People like myself have failed the young generation completely, because when I took on the mantle of hiplife in 1996, the last thing I knew was anthropology, sociology or marketing. I didn’t know I was supposed to carry this thing upfront and give it to someone else.“This thing we’re doing, this is not how it’s done. Big Daddy Kane will carry to a point and give it to Jay Z, Jay Z will give it to another person, another person will give it to Kanye, that is how we keep it moving,” Okyeame Kwame stated.