Record label Ground Up Chale and its founder, Glen Boateng, have filed a GH¢10 million-plus defamation lawsuit against Ghanaian rapper Kwesi Arthur over social media posts he made last week.
The suit, lodged at the Accra High Court on January 27, 2026, alleges that Kwesi Arthur published defamatory statements that harmed the reputations of both the label and its founder.
Details of the Lawsuit
According to the writ of summons circulating online, the plaintiffs are requesting:
GH¢5 million in general damages
GH¢2 million in special damages for economic losses and missed business opportunities
GH¢3 million in aggravated and exemplary damages
Full legal costs
They are also seeking a court declaration that the rapper’s comments were defamatory, an order for the removal of the posts, a ban on future defamatory statements, and a public apology with equal visibility to the original content.
— KWESI ARTHUR (@KWESIARTHUR_) January 21, 2026
What Triggered the Dispute
The case centres on statements Kwesi Arthur posted on January 21, 2026. In the posts, he claimed that:
He was being asked to pay USD $150,000 to use images of himself in an independent project.
Ground Up Chale “claims to own me, my image, my music, and everything attached to it from 2016 to this day.”
He had “not made a dime from any of my music” while under the label.
The management used threats, manipulation and tried to obstruct his music releases.
“If anything happens to me, Glen Boateng and all team members of Ground Up Chale are responsible.”
Ground Up Chale’s Response
The label, through its lawyer Jonathan K. Amable, has rejected the claims. Amable clarified that:
Kwesi Arthur was restricted only from using footage and visuals produced by the label, not his personal image.
Email records show the rapper received £91,370 in royalties plus distribution payments.
The 2017 contract granted the label rights to material created during the term, describing this as standard practice.
“The dispute is rooted in contractual rights over past works, and Ground Up Chale is prepared to defend its interests,” he said.
Industry Reactions
The situation has ignited debate online about artist rights and contract fairness in Ghana’s music scene. Fans of the rapper have rallied behind him using the hashtag #FreeKwesiArthur, while industry observers have weighed in on how label agreements affect young talents.
Background
Kwesi Arthur joined Ground Up Chale in 2017 and quickly rose to fame through the collective, contributing to Ghana’s hip-hop wave with hits like “Grind Day” and “Winning.”
As at the time of reporting, he has not officially commented on the legal action.
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