If there is anything the Ghanaian music industry can boast of, it is the river of classic Hiplife/Highlife tunes, especially from the early 2000s.

Every once in a while, new artistes sample some of these great works bringing them back into the forefront of the latest industry dominated by Afrobeat.

Below are five songs that were sampled:

Stonebwoy samples Dr Paa Bobo for 'Sobolo'

Stonebwoy won the hearts of many when he released his hit single ‘Sobolo’.

The live version of the song posted on YouTube saw the Reggae/Dancehall artistes perform with his Bhim band. But the one thing that caught the eye of many was the sample of a highlife tune Stonebwoy reworked for this song.

He reproduced some lines of the famous ‘Osobro Kyee’ by veteran, Dr Paa Bobo.

These are the lines contained in 'Sobolo'.

“Fa o’sabokywer fa wo nsa be wo m’enii into the eye. Osabokywer fa wo nsa be wo m’eni so so. Osabokywer fa wo nsa be wo m’eni, Me w’uaa enye hweee.”

In the live recording session with his Bhim Band, Stonebowy eulogized the legend, Dr Paa Bobo for his immense contribution to Highlife music.

He said at the latter part of the live recording, “Sweet sweet highlife music from the coasts of Ghana, the red, gold, green and the black star. Highlife music is the originator, the origination and the foundation of the Afrobeat music we have today. This one is taken from the archives, the classical archives of the great one, the legendary one…DR. PAA BOBO."

Offei samples Blackstone for Fi Ma No

It is not always easy for an artiste’s debut song to be a hit, especially at a time when popular hits were by already established acts.

But the group Blackstone were lucky. Their first song Befi Mano was a hit that propelled them into fame.

In 2020, new artiste Offei sampled the classic song. He brought a new perspective to the song making his own verses and remaking the beat. He however maintained the melody and lyrics of the chorus.

He also featured one member of Blackstone, Kawastone, on the song alongside Nigerian singer Patoranking.

In an interview, Offei stated that he had not intended to remake his “all-time favourite song” until he sang a new verse to the melody during a studio session with his producer, C-Tea. He also did not have plans to release the song.

However, Patoranking accidentally heard the song from C-Tea when they got together to work in South Africa, Offei stated.

“C-Tea in an attempt to play some of his new beats to Patoranking in the studio played the song to him. Patoranking said he loved it and gave me a free verse.”

Because Offei did not own the rights to the song, he reached out to the original makers who also loved the remake and expressed interest in working with them on it.

Joey B samples Bessa Simons for Greetings from Abroad

It is not for nothing that Joey B is touted as one of the kings of Ghanaian samples. The talent rapper on some occasions added his touch to some great classics that got people’s attention.

One of such is his hit single Greetings from Abroad ft Pappy Kojo.

Joey B tapped into the chorus for legendary Bessa Simons’, 'Awo Yi', for the song. His flow and his instrumentals elevate the already ear-catching tune.

Sampling the song was not all Joey did. The song as a whole is inspired by Borga highlife. He digs into the influential once-vibrant genre and breathes new life into the classic.

Wizkid and Mutay sample Ghana's VIP

Nigerian Afrobeat star, Wizkid is not one to shy away from samples. He’s sampled Fela, Bob Marley and Beenie Man and even Tic (formally Tic Tac) among others.

In 2017, he joined forces with Mutay to release Manya. On the record, he heavily samples VIP's 2005 classic, 'Ahomka Womu' on the hook.

In an interview, Wizkid says he asked for their permission before proceeding to release the song and paid them for it. They were also supposed to be in the music video, but couldn't make it, he revealed.

Wusu samples Daasebere Gyamena

An artiste named Wusu paid tributes to legendary Ghaians artistes some years ago.

Through his tributes, he sampled some of their songs, refixed them to give them a new look but still did not take much away from the original.

One of the songs was Daasebere’s ‘Korkorkor’. 

He titled his song Badda.

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