2015
Is It Sweet?:
Tales of an African Superstar in New York
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
This documentary is an irreverent portrait of Ghanaian hip-hop superstar Reggie Rockstone as he meets friends, shoots videos, talks politics, and performs in New York City. It is an experimental portrait that explores the sensory-emotional experience of a trip to an American city by a global African artist. We see New York through his eyes with its street culture, fashion, and political controversies. He comes together with his old DJ Rab Bakari and his manager former Black Panther Party member Dhoruba Bin Wahad to put on a concert with other young Ghanaian future star musicians like M.anifest, Mensa, and VIP. The film explores the shifts between intimate moments and public lives, boredom and excitement, nostalgia and aspiration.
Chapters
Rab and Reggie’s East Coast Tour
Dhoruba’s House
Independence Day Concert at Gaucho’s Gym
Race in America with Rev. Wright
Staten Island Music Video Shoot
Dhoruba’s Political Discourse
Rab and Reggie head to the Bronx
Reggie’s Farewell Concert at Zoodoo Night Club
This film is an intimate portrait of Ghanaian hip-hop star Reggie Rockstone. It is an experimental documentary that explores a slice of West African life transposed to America following Reggie and his friends and collaborators through a series of public events and casual encounters. The film includes footage recorded by a number of the film’s main characters. Its production and editing style reflect an informal, insider’s view of Reggie’s life as a musician and traveler. It focuses on moments of reflection, debate, and humor in the midst of daily life.
Nana Yaw Reginald Ossei, better known as Reggie Rockstone, is a hip-hop star and media celebrity in Accra the capital city of Ghana. He was a breakdancer in in 1980s Accra before moving to London to begin a rap career. In the 1990s he returned to Ghana pioneering hiplife music, a new style combining rap with traditional highlife. His Twi language rap inspired a new generation of pop musicians, helping launch the glamorous celebrity culture of Anglophone West Africa. In Ghana he draws huge crowds at concerts, hosts reality TV shows, and runs a popular nightclub. But abroad he is not as well known, and when he comes to perform for Ghanaians in the United States, he is not sure what to expect. This film follows his journey as he meets fans, collaborators, and old friends. He works with young struggling musicians, shoots music videos, and performs at small clubs. While he is celebrated by Ghanaians, his relative anonymity in America gives him room for reflection.
He reunites with both his former manager and producer who have relocated to the United States after living in Ghana. They come together for Reggie’s visit, reflecting and reminiscing. Their divergent paths drive conversations about politics, race, music, and money. Reggie reunites with his producer and beat-maker Rab Bakari. A child of New York’s original hip-hop scene, Rab moved to Accra to produce Reggie’s seminal albums in the early 1990s before returning to New York to work for Universal Music Group. Reggie stays with Dhoruba Bin Wahad, a former Black Panther Party leader who became Reggie’s music manager and mentor when he moved to Ghana in the early 1990s. He recently relocated to New Jersey, working as a political commentator and activist, as an outspoken critic of American empire, the prison-industrial complex, and racial politics. As they have done for years, Rab and Dhuroba orchestrate Reggie’s tour and guide him from behind the scenes. As they plan Reggie’s concerts and appearances, they meet up with a cast of aspiring musicians and young Ghanaians who work day jobs to struggle in the alternative world of African hip-hop music. Reggie’s humor and irreverence shape this film’s intimate, aspirational, and irreverent story of life for an African superstar in New York.
