What is it that will ever make Reggie Rockstone, regarded as the “grandpapa” of the hiplife movement in Ghana cut his dreadlocks off? Can it be for money?
Well, the Plan Ben hitmaker and CEO of Rockstone’s Office says he has no intention of ever razing his dreadlocks of over two decades and no amount of money will make him do that.
He told Showbiz last Friday that it had been the least thought that has ever crossed his mind and wondered what could make him commit such a “heinous crime”.
He said ever since news went viral on social network with accompanied pictures that suggested that he was bald following a message he tweeted, he was very surprised it gained such widespread attention and discussion.
“All along, I never knew my dreadlocks were much of a concern to people. I sent that tweet to my daughter in the UK and before I could say Jack, it was all over the place that I had a bald look now. That was quite interesting.
“Let me tell you what did the trick. I changed the Rasta to corn row braids and with my kind of ‘Kwame Nkrumah’ head shape, anyone would think that I was bald,” he stated.
“I have kept these dreadlocks for over 20 years and I just can’t wake up one day and decide to take them off. I don’t think that will happen and I can assure those who are looking forward to that to forget since it will never happen.
“I don’t even know why people think I will do that. My whole family keeps dread locks including my children because I believe in it so why would I want to take mine off?
“ At the beginning of my music career in Ghana in the early 90s, most people will bear with me that people with dreadlocks were seen in a bad light or ‘alien’ to the Ghanaian culture but even with that perception at the time, I didn’t bow to the pressure to take my dread locks off.
“Not today when many people have come to accept dreadlocks as part of fashion and for those in the showbiz fraternity that I will back off. No way, that is never going to happen” he stated.
When asked how much it will take to cut his dreadlocks, he laughed and remarked “You have no idea what these dreadlocks mean to me. I won’t take them off for any reason and not even when it involves a fortune of a life time. Unless for health complications but until then, dreadlocks forever”. The picture that went viral and confused readers
The 50-year-old pioneer of hiplife music who described himself as a family man told Showbiz that out of his temporary “retirement” from music, he has been engaged in other business ventures among which include his night club operations and now, his self-branded “Reggie Rockstone condoms” which will be officially released on the market later this month.
“When I came out with my idea of condoms, many people condemned me for that but they have forgotten that as an owner of one of the sought after night clubs in the country, I had to ensure responsibility on the part of my clients.
“People are just trying to be hypocrites but we all must admit that, we need to preach and practice safe sex particularly among the youth and to avoid STDS. This is my own way of saving the youth of my country from the claws of deadly diseases. Is that not right on my part?” he queried.
Credited for being the founder of hiplife music which boasts of many protégés today, Rockstone, real name, Reginald Osei said he was beside himself with joy that in his own “small” way, he could create employment for people to make a living after several years adding “what baffles me is that both past and present governments seem not to appreciate the economic gains of the arts and entrainment industry. If not, then by now, we should have many recreational centres to serve such purposes”.
Known for songs like Me Na Mekae, Keep Your Eyes On The Road, Eye Mo De Anaa, Plan Ben, Rockstone believes that young hip life artistes must be a master of the local languages which he believes has done the trick for most of the excelling artistes in recent times.
“Language is information and so as a rapper or musician who is communicating to a larger audience, you should rap in a language you perfectly understand, familiar with and can express yourself best in it. That is not to say that our artistes shouldn’t rap in other languages but the foremost question should be, ‘can I express myself better in the language I have adopted’?” he said.