the classification of hip pop made in Ghana and Hiplife, but overall they bear the same qualities and share common rhythms. Musical style Hiplife covers a broad range of musical styles fused together. Artists such as Samini combine reggae/dancehall/ragga scat and patois-tinged sounds of Jamaica with Akan-language lyrics over reggae rhythms fused with Ghanaian melodies. His music is branded by the general populace as hiplife. Then there are artists such as KK Fosu, Ofori Amponsah and Richie who do not rap or "DJ" as such but sing with a heavy R&B influence. Verses, bridges and choruses may be in Twi, but the structure and rhythm is typically based on American R&B. He and other similar artistes fall into the category of contemporary highlife. The majority of hiplife is recorded in a studio environment, with heavy emphasis on computer-aided composition, arrangements and production. Hiplife artists are currently not known for using live instruments in their performances in front of audiences. Most performances are based on voicing over instrumentals and dubs on Compact Disc. This may be a leading reason why the latest incarnation of Ghanaian music has not reached the ears of World Music promoters or bridged the frontiers of countries across Africa as Congolese music has done. Famous hiplife artists include Reggie Rockstone, Lord Kenya, Obrafour, Tinny, Tic Tac, Mzbel, Buk Bak, Batman Samini, Ayigbe Edem, Sarkodie, Castro and Okyeame Kwame. Producers include Jay Q, Appietus, Richie and Hammer of The Last Two A pair of hiplife artists, formed a double act called Reggie 'n' Bollie and came second in the UK TV music show x-factor. Twi Rap Though Reggie Rockstone and co have been credited for Hiplife, there has been a new development about who first recorded Twi rap. After 25 years, an obscure Ghanaian album titled "Obaa Sima" recently gained notoriety. The song by Ata Kak was recorded and officially released in 1994. Such an important record had been missed in Ghana's music history. Fact Magazine proclaimed it as the most important reissue of 2015. The fact was, the song was not popular until a young New York ethnomusicologist, Brian Shimkovitz, who was studying music in Ghana in the early 2000s uncovered the tape. Soon the tape had over 40 million downloads and was popular around the world without Ata Kak's knowledge, until Shimkovitz met him after more than six years. Hiplife Festivals Ghana@50 in the Bronx Popular