Additional information has surfaced in the ongoing dispute over unpaid royalties between Highlife artiste Kuami Eugene and his fellow artist, Mr. Drew. Kuami Eugene has revealed that he has enlisted the services of his lawyer to address the matter through legal means.
While speaking on the Kojo Manuel podcast and discussing any possible conflicts with industry colleagues, Kuami Eugene recounted a specific incident related to the song “Case,” which he had penned for Mr. Drew. However, he asserted that he has yet to receive proper credit or royalties for his contribution to the track.
“I do have a problem with someone now, they think because I let things go easily, they think I’m soft. They feel that even though they don’t pay me my royalties, I wouldn’t mind.” he expressed.
Kuami Eugene provided additional details, stating that he had fully composed the entire hook of the popular song, from its beginning to its conclusion, and he had duly informed the artist about his substantial contribution. However, to his astonishment, the artist did not respond to his messages, and the song was ultimately released without his participation or acknowledgment.
While Kuami Eugene did not disclose the artist’s name during the podcast, he mentioned that he had taken the matter to his lawyer, stating, “I’ve actually sent it to my lawyer. If my lawyer finishes the conversation with him, it will come out.”
In addition to his specific grievance with this incident, Eugene expressed his overall dissatisfaction with the treatment he receives from his colleagues in the Ghanaian music industry. He cited several instances where he did not receive any royalties for his contributions to big hits.
“I can tell you, there are many big hits in the country that many people made money from, but I didn’t even get 1 Cedi from them. All of them know, and it’s not fair,” he disclosed.
Kuami Eugene drew a contrast between his experience with certain artists and those from Nigeria, emphasizing that Nigerian artists tend to uphold their agreements and he continues to receive royalties for his 2020 collaboration on CKay’s “Love Nwantiti.”
Although Kuami Eugene did not explicitly mention the artist involved in the dispute, it’s worth noting that he had previously called out Mr. Drew for failing to credit him for his contribution to the popular song “Case.” In response, Mr. Drew claimed that he had attempted to reach out to Kuami Eugene but received no response.