Ghanaian musician Dennis Nana Dwamena, professionally known as KiDi, has opened up about a costly lesson from his music career, admitting that his early excitement about making music prevented him from paying enough attention to the contractual side of the business.

Speaking on the Konnected Minds Podcast, the “Lomo Lomo” hitmaker said young musicians must understand that talent alone is not enough to guarantee financial success, stressing the importance of understanding every agreement before signing.

“I would not have been an overexcited young man who wanted to just make music for the passion. Because no matter how much passion you have, it’s show business. There’s a business aspect of it. You can make all the music, make all the love songs and make the world dance, but if you don’t read the fine print, you work your whole life, and then you realise that you’ve worked, but there’s nothing to show for it,” he said.

KiDi also disclosed that he does not own all the master recordings from his career, although he declined to reveal specific details about the ownership arrangements.

“Not all of it. Like I said, to go into detail about this conversation, we would have to dive deep, deep, deep. So I’ll leave it here. I wish I read the fine print, but I didn’t. So I will deal with the consequences of not reading the fine print,” he said.

His message to young artistes seeking career advice was brief but pointed: “Read the fine prints.”

The Lynx Entertainment alumnus also credited his former University of Ghana schoolmate, Sena Biteer, for making his early recording journey easier. KiDi said Biteer had a fully equipped studio and regularly invited him to record, meaning he did not have to struggle to raise money for studio sessions.

“I’ve never mentioned his name in any interview, but today I will mention his name. Sena Biteer. We used to be in the University of Ghana together. He happened to have studio equipment. He was rich. He had a whole studio set-up. He’d be like, ‘Come, come, we want to record.’ So I’ve never had to go through the process of looking for money to pay for studio sessions,” he said.

KiDi, who has grown into one of Ghana’s prominent Afrobeats and highlife voices, said the support he received early in his career shaped his understanding of the music business because he was surrounded by people willing to invest in his talent.

“In life, you’re only exposed to what your reality is. My reality was people were always ready to offer help to me because anytime they heard me sing, they’d be like, ‘Talent, talent, this is something I want to be part of.’ So even though I had no money, it was never a thing in my mind,” he added.

His candid reflection offers a cautionary lesson to emerging Ghanaian musicians that building a successful career requires not only creativity and talent but also a firm understanding of contracts, ownership and the financial value of their work.

Watch the video below:

“I never had a place to call home. I was never allowed to be a child.”

Behind the fame, the awards and the hit songs is a story KiDi has rarely shared publicly.

He opens up about losing his father at just 7 years old, growing up from house to house, raising his younger brothers… pic.twitter.com/uKRsEdBEWx

— Derrick Abaitey (@DerrickAbaitey) August 7, 2026

Source: Yvonne Nyarko Agyemang