Veteran Ghanaian Highlife musician KayBlez has stated that he has not received royalty payments in the past four years despite having chart-topping hits like ‘Chocho Mucho.’
In an interview with Nana Romeo on Okay FM on November 4, 2025, the artiste explained that his bookings help him survive, while royalty payments have become negligible.
“I haven’t received any royalties for the past four years now. Anytime I call them, they tell me they will get back to me. But they never get back. I’m supposed to get my royalties every six months,” he said.
KayBlez stated that when he first started music and had major hits, the amounts paid in royalties were so small they could barely ‘buy a bottle of Coke.’
GHAMRO Royalties: We haven’t received even GH¢20 – Keche
Rather than depend on the payment system, he said he now insists on a fixed fee for performances.
“If I’m called for a show, I have my fixed price. I won’t just accept any price. And every week, I get calls to perform, but I insist on my fixed price,” he explained.
He added that apart from live shows, he also supplements his income through streaming revenues and various business ventures.
“Aside from performances, I have some money coming from streams, and I have one or two businesses I do. That is how I survive,” he said.
KayBlez’s disclosure adds to growing concerns among Ghanaian musicians about transparency, delayed payments, and inadequate royalty distribution on the part of the Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO).
ID/AE
Watch the promo to GhanaWeb’s latest documentary, which uncovers the evolution of ‘kayamata,’ an exploitative practice fueled by love charms and manipulation, titled, “The Dark Side of Kayamata,’ below:
