Ghanaian musician D-Black has opened up about how music legend Reggie Rockstone inspired him to transition from rapping in English to using the local dialect, Twi.
The rapper and entrepreneur made this revelation in an interview on Adom TV’s Badwam Ahosepe.
According to D-Black, he initially struggled to rap in Twi, a challenge that was overcome when Reggie Rockstone, a pioneer of Ghanaian rap, encouraged him to give it a try. “Reggie asked me if I would want someone to help me write my rap in Twi, but I said no, I’ll do it myself,” D-Black shared.
The change began with D-Black incorporating Pidgin into his music, eventually leading to him embracing Twi in his raps. This breakthrough became evident in his hit song “Vera,” where he successfully merged both Pidgin and Twi to create a unique sound.
When asked how switching to local dialects has impacted his career, D-Black was enthusiastic, stating, “It has really helped me. It gave my music a more authentic feel and connected me better with my audience.”
D-Black also shared that he learned to speak Twi while in Senior High School, revealing that his upbringing played a role in his initial struggle with the language. “My father was half British, half Ghanaian, and my mother is fully Ghanaian, but we only spoke English at home,” he explained. It was during his time at Pojoss, a senior high school, that he began to pick up Twi, gaining confidence to incorporate it into his music.
In the same interview, D-Black revealed that he was Reggie Rockstone’s road manager for a number of years before venturing into the music scene himself. The experience, he says, played a pivotal role in his development as an artist.
D-Black’s transition to using Twi in his raps, inspired by Reggie Rockstone’s mentorship, has undoubtedly contributed to his success in the Ghanaian music industry, where blending local dialects with rap has become a celebrated trend.
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