Dancehall artiste, Shatta Wale, has lamented about the failure of the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) to pay him his royalties.

According to him, the money he has made from music comes from streaming platforms, concerts, foreign royalty collection bodies he is signed to, among others.

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Shatta Wale wrote that, “Our work as musicians or let's say the creatives is sad in Ghana but the players of the game will tell you they can’t speak (because) they don’t want people to insult them. Me, I’m hungry, I want everyone to insult me… I am hungry, where is my royalties? GHANA!!!”

Our work as musicians or let say the creatives is sad in Ghana but the players of the game will tell you they can’t speak cuz they don’t want ppl to insult them ….

Me am hungry ,I want everyone to insult me …I am hungryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ..where is my royalties GHANA!!!

— SHATTA WALE (@shattawalegh) February 17, 2022

“Today, I have to tell you guys the truth. If it wasn't my Limelinx account like today man no see top. That money changed my life. It was just me, my laptop, my sound card and Mic.. No ROYALTIES (sic),” he added.

Shatta Wale said that the government and the institutions in charge have not been able to do anything to remedy the situation.

Today I have to tell you guys the truth ,
If it wasnt my Limelinx account like today man no see top..

That money changed my life..
It was just me ,my laptop , my sound card and Mic..No ROYALTIES

— SHATTA WALE (@shattawalegh) February 17, 2022

The "Freedom" hitmaker said he has on various occasions called on his colleagues and players in the industry to help him find ways to earn more royalties.

He explained that although many of them complained about the struggles creatives go through to get their royalties they did not seem concerned to make the needed changes.

Before man got YouTube ,iTunes and boom another way to earn my money I have worked for .
I wasn’t even playing shows and white man platform deh pay me !!
What has Ghana music and government done about our Royalties till now …Nothing !! And am ranting u expect me to stop ?

— SHATTA WALE (@shattawalegh) February 17, 2022

He said he is therefore dedicated to complaining and calling out institutions in charge to do better for musicians and creatives.

“So far as I am not killing, stealing and doing anything that will harm beautiful people of this country…I will say it as it is. Masa am hungry, people are hungry and angry (sic),” Shatta Wale added.

I have called on most players at the creative sector ,had meetings with them in offices ,houses outside ghana bla bla bla but they seem not to be concerned but complain bitterly about things ppl don’t know we go thru ..

— SHATTA WALE (@shattawalegh) February 17, 2022

Meanwhile, Shatta Wale’s complaints come weeks after the manager of Gospel singer, Celestine Donkor made public, how much they’ve been given so far.

In a post, Kofi Donkor, who is also the singer’s husband, revealed that as of Thursday, January 20, 2022, they have been given GH₵11,000 as royalties.

Me I am not ashamed !
So far as I am not killing ,stealing and doing anything that will harm beautiful ppl of this country …I will say it as it is ..

Masa am hungryyyyyyyyyy,ppl are hungryyyyyyyyyyyy and angryyyyyyyy

— SHATTA WALE (@shattawalegh) February 17, 2022

According to him, this is the highest amount of money they have received from the organisation since they joined the industry.

Following that revelation, Chairman of the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO), Rex Omar, revealed that his outfit has revamped its royalty collection system.

In an interview on Happy FM, Mr. Omar explained that, unlike previous years when an artiste’s album among others, influenced how much he or she got paid, the new system will indicate which song was played from which artiste, the time it was played, how long the song was played, the radio station that played the song and every other detail.

He told the host, Doctar Cann that, “the system will aggregate the number of songs of each registered artiste that were played and then from the logging, we know which artistes to pay and how much to pay them.”

Mr. Omar added that now, the number of songs from an artiste that is played will determine how much money they will earn as royalties.

This was after he had revealed in September 2021 that, he had signed a deal with a new digital royalty collection body, Capasso.

According to him, Capasso collects the digital royalties for artistes and right owners as part of GHAMRO’s efforts to digitalise its operations to enable creators earn their due from their works.