Ghanaian rapper Dr Cryme has expressed disappointment over what he describes as the Ghana music industry’s reluctance to embrace homegrown innovation, insisting that his “Twi Pop” genre has been sidelined largely because it was created by a Ghanaian artiste.
In an interview on Angel FM in Kumasi, he voiced frustration about what he believes is a long-standing bias among local listeners who tend to prioritise foreign concepts over indigenous creativity.
“If a foreigner had created Twi Pop, we would have jumped on it,” he said.
According to him, one of the main challenges facing the genre is its distinct sound, which differs from the already familiar Hiplife style, making it harder for audiences to immediately accept.
Dr Cryme stressed that naming and defining a genre plays a crucial role in shaping its identity, arguing that many music styles exist informally until they are properly labelled and structured.
He pointed to Reggie Rockstone as a key figure in Ghana’s music history, crediting him with giving Hiplife its name and direction, a development that eventually helped it gain both local and global recognition.
“We cannot say Ghana music should be one style. Other countries have many genres that we even copy from,” he said.
Despite the slow reception at home, Dr Cryme remains optimistic about the future of Twi Pop and is urging Ghanaians to show more support for local innovation.
“We would never know. Twi Pop might make waves in the years to come.
“Anyone who tries to be innovative should be supported. If we support outsiders more than our own, then we are not being fair,” he stated.
He further described Twi Pop as a deliberate creative fusion, blending local language with global sound influences. “The ‘Pop’ represents the foreign style, and the ‘Twi’ represents our local dialect,” he explained, adding that his vision is to position Ghanaian-language music for wider international appeal.
