Re-defining Ghanaian hiplife songs by women as liberatory narratives.

A careful study of contemporary Ghanaian hiplife songs by women reveals a rich lode of subtle sexual innuendoes, liberatory remarks, resistance discourses, and overt and covert protests. The name "hiplife" is a compound of hip-hop and highlife, which points to the two major influences that constitut...

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Publicado en:Tydskrif vir Letterkunde Vol. 63; no. 1; pp. 20 - 32
Autores principales: Amissah-Arthur, Hannah Woode, Ennin, Theresah Patrine, Sam, Christabel Aba
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Tydskrif vir Letterkunde 2026
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        atl: Re-defining Ghanaian hiplife songs by women as liberatory narratives.
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        au:
          Amissah-Arthur, Hannah Woode
          Ennin, Theresah Patrine
          Sam, Christabel Aba
        affil:
          Senior lecturer in the Department of English, Faculty of Arts, College of Humanities and Legal Studies, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
          Associate professor in the Department of English, Faculty of Arts, College of Humanities and Legal Studies, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
      su:
        Women's music
        Cultural industries
        Feminism
        Gender
        Ghana
      sug:
        subj:
          Ghana
          Women's music
          Cultural industries
          Feminism
          Gender
      keyword:
        creative industry
        gender narrative
        hiplife music
        resistance
        women artistes
      ab: A careful study of contemporary Ghanaian hiplife songs by women reveals a rich lode of subtle sexual innuendoes, liberatory remarks, resistance discourses, and overt and covert protests. The name "hiplife" is a compound of hip-hop and highlife, which points to the two major influences that constitute the genre. Its most marked features are rap lyrics in Twi, Fante, Ga, Ewe, Pidgin English, and other local languages, which are performed over programmed beats, bass lines, and sampled loops. One of the inherent features of hiplife music is its objectification of women in many forms. However, recent Ghanaian women hiplife artistes have created music that counters these images and portrays women as more than the sum of their bodies. In this article, we employ a poststructuralist feminist approach to analyse selected songs by women hiplife artistes in Ghana, asserting that Ghanaian women hiplife artistes create music that is revolutionary and sexually liberating. We then contend that this emergence of a new wave of hiplife music by the women is both an indication of the democratic landscape that makes it possible for women's voices to be heard and for their views to be validated, as well as a resistance movement that seeks to change the narrative. This article has implications for African feminism, gender, and the creative industry, as it contributes to the discussion on ways through which the creative industry can be harnessed not just for entertainment but also for a reorientation of ideas and values.
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