Ghanaian singer Kuami Eugene says artistes in the country could be earning as much as $100,000 every month if they fully tap into the many revenue channels available in today’s music business.
During a discussion on Prime Time with George Quaye and Merqury Quaye, the award-winning musician reflected on his rise to fame, the realities of the industry, and some of the career choices that helped shape his success.
According to the “Monica” singer, the days when musicians depended only on album sales are long gone. He explained that modern artistes now have access to several lucrative streams of income beyond music releases alone.
“Revenue can be generated from naming rights, stage performances, endorsement deals, streaming platforms and other opportunities within the music business,” he explained.
The conversation also saw Kuami Eugene shower praise on fellow Ghanaian stars including Medikal, Sarkodie, Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy, applauding their creativity and staying power in the entertainment scene.
Speaking about collaborations, he described Medikal as one of the most naturally gifted artistes he has worked with in the studio.
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“When you’re working with Medikal, it’s like he’s not there. He’s just on his phone while you’re building the beat. But when it’s his turn, he just freestyles and delivers a hit verse. I’ve never seen him write a song,” he said.
Kuami Eugene also revisited his departure from Lynx Entertainment, insisting there was no bad blood between him and the label after eight years together.
“I didn’t leave Lynx because we had an issue. I left because I had been there for eight good years,” he said. “I loved our journey and I learnt so much from Lynx Entertainment. I’m very glad I was the first artiste they organised a send-off party for.”
He disclosed that before signing with Lynx Entertainment, another label had presented him with a far bigger financial offer.
“I had another label that offered me GH¢100,000 at the time, which was like one billion in old currency. I could even have bought a house then,” he noted. “But Lynx didn’t come with money; they came with a dream. They had already built stars like MzVee, Asem, and OJ Blaq, so I chose fulfilment over money, and it turned out to be a beautiful journey.”
The singer said his time at Lynx reached a memorable milestone when he became the first artiste under the label to win Artiste of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards.
He further admitted that after dominating the Highlife Artiste of the Year category for years, he began feeling limited by the label attached to his sound.
“I was tired two years ago. Having won Highlife Artiste of the Year four times, I wanted someone else to win the category. I didn’t want to be boxed in as just a highlife artiste but rather known for making good music,” he said.
Kuami Eugene further revealed that during his days at Salvation Army Senior High School, some schoolmates nicknamed him after Sarkodie.