The ongoing dispute between Kwesi Arthur and his former management, Ground Up Chale, has taken a new turn following a strong rebuttal from the company’s legal representative.
During a Joy FM X Spaces discussion hosted by Kwame Dadzie on Thursday, January 22, 2026, lawyer Jonathan K. Amable, who represents Ground Up Chale, dismissed claims by the artiste that he earned no income from his music while under the label’s management.
According to Mr Amable, documentary evidence contradicts Kwesi Arthur’s assertions. He read excerpts from email correspondence between the parties which, he said, clearly outlined royalty payments made to the rapper — payments that were never disputed at the time.
“The email details payments that had already been made to Kwesi. It states clearly that, to date, he had benefited from £91,370 in royalty disbursements,” the lawyer said.
He further alleged that Kwesi Arthur received $118,712 from music distribution company Platoon for the Son of Jacob album without remitting Ground Up Chale’s entitled share, describing the situation as a breach of their agreement.
Addressing claims that the company attempted to restrict Kwesi Arthur’s use of his own image, Mr Amable rejected the accusation, explaining that the limitation only applied to specific audiovisual materials produced by Ground Up Chale during their working relationship.
“Everything that was created within that period was owned by Ground Up,” he stated.
The lawyer also clarified the contractual relationship between the two parties, revealing that Kwesi Arthur initially signed with Ground Up Chale in 2017 for four years, before extending the agreement by an additional two years.
Kwesi Arthur had earlier sparked widespread reaction within the entertainment industry after publishing a strongly worded social media post accusing music executive Glen Boateng and the Ground Up Chale team of intimidation, financial extortion and deliberate attempts to block his independent releases.
In the post, the award-winning rapper claimed he was being asked to pay $150,000 to use images of himself for a current project and warned that his personal safety could be at risk amid the dispute.
“If anything happens to me, Glen Boateng and all team members of Ground Up Chale are responsible,” he wrote.
Kwesi Arthur further alleged that despite cutting ties with the company after the release of Son of Jacob, he has not earned any income from music released during his years with Ground Up Chale, while facing what he described as constant threats and manipulation.
He also warned fans that any disruption or takedown of his current independent project should be blamed on his former manager, claiming deliberate efforts were being made to silence his career.
The artiste said he chose to speak publicly after years of silence due to concerns for his personal safety, family and mental wellbeing.
As of now, Kwesi Arthur has not responded to the latest claims made by Ground Up Chale through its legal counsel.
