Music company Ground Up Chale and its founder, Glen Boateng, have filed a writ of summons at the High Court in Accra against Ghanaian musician Kwesi Arthur, accusing him of libel over recent social media comments.
The suit, filed on 27 January 2026 and sighted by Myjoyonline.com, is seeking damages exceeding GH₵10 million. According to the plaintiffs, statements made by the rapper in a social media post about a week ago were defamatory and have caused significant reputational and economic harm.
Ground Up Chale and Glen Boateng are asking the court to declare the statements libellous, order their immediate removal from all platforms, restrain Kwesi Arthur from making further defamatory comments, and compel him to issue a public apology and retraction with the same prominence as the original posts.
The reliefs being sought include general damages of GH₵5 million, special damages of GH₵2 million for alleged economic losses and missed business opportunities, aggravated and exemplary damages of GH₵3 million, as well as legal costs.
At the heart of the dispute are five statements attributed to Kwesi Arthur in a post dated 21 January 2026. In the post, the musician claimed he was being asked to pay US$150,000 to use images of himself in an independent project and alleged that Ground Up Chale “claims to own me, my image, my music, and everything attached to it from 2016 to this day.”
He further alleged that he had “not made a dime from any of my music” during his time with the label, accused management of threats and manipulation, and claimed attempts were being made to block the release of his current music. One statement warned that if anything happened to him, Glen Boateng and members of the Ground Up Chale team should be held responsible.
The allegations sparked intense debate on social media and within the music industry, with many raising concerns about artist rights and contract fairness. Supporters of the rapper launched online campaigns using hashtags such as #FreeKwesiArthur.
As part of the suit, Ground Up Chale is demanding that Kwesi Arthur permanently delete the Instagram and X posts from 21 January 2026 and any related content. The company is also seeking an injunction to stop him and his associates from further publishing or circulating what it describes as defamatory statements, alongside a court-approved apology.
The company’s lawyer, Jonathan K. Amable, has rejected key elements of the musician’s claims. Speaking during a Joy FM X Spaces discussion, he said Kwesi Arthur was not barred from using his image generally but was restricted from using visuals and footage produced by the label during their contractual relationship.
Mr Amable also cited email correspondence indicating that the artist received royalties amounting to £91,370, in addition to payments from distribution deals, disputing the claim that he earned nothing. He added that the 2017 contract granted the label ownership of material created within that period.
According to the lawyer, the dispute centres on contractual rights over past works, and Ground Up Chale is prepared to defend its position in court.
Kwesi Arthur rose to prominence after being signed by Ground Up Chale in 2017 and became a key voice in Ghana’s hip-hop scene with songs such as Grind Day and Winning. As of publication, he had not publicly responded to the lawsuit.
