Kwesi Arthur
Music label, Ground Up Chale, and its founder, Glen Boateng, have dragged rapper, Kwesi Arthur, before the High Court over explosive allegations he made online.
According to a Myjoyonline report on Wednesday, the record label filed a writ of summons on January 27, 2026, accusing the award-winning musician of libel following a series of social media posts that went viral earlier in this month.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages exceeding GH¢10 million, alongside a raft of court orders aimed at silencing what they describe as false and damaging claims.
In the suit, Ground Up Chale is asking the court to declare Kwesi Arthur’s statements defamatory, compel him to delete the offending posts, and restrain him from making any further allegations against the company or its executives. They are also demanding a public apology and retraction published with the same visibility as the original posts.
The breakdown of the claim includes GH¢5 million in general damages, GH¢2 million for alleged economic losses and missed business opportunities, GH¢3 million in aggravated and exemplary damages, as well as legal costs.
The legal action centres on alleged comments made by Kwesi Arthur in a January 21, 2026 post, in which he alleged that he was being asked to pay USD 150,000 to use images of himself and claimed that Ground Up Chale “owns” his image, music and entire creative output dating back to 2016. He further alleged that he earned nothing from his music during his time with the label and accused management of intimidation and sabotage of his current releases.
One statement in particular has drawn sharp legal attention, where the rapper warned that if anything happened to him, Glen Boateng and the Ground Up Chale team should be held responsible.
The posts sparked intense debate across social media, with fans and commentators weighing in on artist contracts and power dynamics in Ghana’s music industry. Supporters of the rapper rallied behind him using the hashtag #FreeKwesiArthur.
Responding to the allegations, Ground Up Chale’s lawyer, Jonathan K. Amable, has publicly disputed Kwesi Arthur’s claims. He maintains that the label never barred the artist from using his image generally, but only restricted the use of visuals and materials produced by the company under contract. He also cited records showing royalty payments and distribution earnings amounting to £91,370, contradicting claims that the artist made no income.
According to the label, the dispute is strictly about contractual rights over works created during the agreed period, and they are fully prepared to defend their position in court.
Kwesi Arthur, who rose to fame after joining the Ground Up Chale collective in 2017 and became a defining voice of a new generation with hits like ‘Grind Day’ and ‘Winning’, has yet to publicly respond to the lawsuit as of the time of reporting.