Ghanaian rapper Kwesi Arthur has spoken openly about his legal dispute with Ground Up Chale, saying the experience fundamentally changed how he approaches contracts and professional advice, and calling on young musicians to protect themselves before signing any agreement.
Speaking to broadcaster Kafui Dey, Arthur reflected on the period that preceded his public falling out with the record label, acknowledging that youth and urgency had left him exposed at a critical moment in his career.
“I signed an agreement when I was quite young,” he said.
Arthur admitted he lacked proper legal representation at the time and did not fully grasp the terms he had agreed to. He described the emotional weight of the dispute as something he had quietly carried long before it became public, saying he chose to speak out as a way of closing that chapter on his own terms.
He is now channelling the experience into a message for emerging artists. Arthur urged young musicians to demand fairness in every contract they enter and to ensure qualified legal counsel reviews any agreement before they commit to it.
The rapper, whose music helped define a generation of Ghanaian street culture, has since continued recording independently. His account adds weight to a growing conversation within the local music industry about how young talent can be left vulnerable when ambition outpaces legal awareness.
