Veteran Ghanaian musician and dancer Ebenezer Asare, popularly known as Slim Buster, has raised fresh concerns about the country’s royalty system, claiming he has gone 12 years without receiving payments from the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO).

Slim Buster, who has spent years in the United Kingdom after establishing himself as one of Ghana’s notable hiplife and highlife performers, made the revelation during an interview. His career dates back decades, with his music and dance performances earning him recognition as one of the influential entertainers of his generation.

“I haven’t received royalties for 12 years now. Trust me,” he said.

According to the musician, he was informed that a major system update at GHAMRO resulted in the organisation’s previous records being wiped instead of simply being upgraded.

“You know, there is something called an update. So the update will not wipe the old system; it will upgrade it. But the problem I was told is that they wiped out the whole system and have updated it. Are they fools?”

Slim Buster said the alleged loss of the old records meant some musicians were subsequently required to register their works again before they could be considered for royalty payments.

“So I was told you have to come back and register. I didn’t want to argue because nothing beneficial would come out of it,” he added.

GHAMRO is mandated to license music users, collect royalties and distribute earnings to music rights holders, making royalty payments a crucial source of income for musicians whose works are used publicly.

His allegations come at a time when GHAMRO is seeking to modernise its royalty administration and has recently introduced personalised royalty statements while announcing a GH¢1.43 million distribution covering several categories of royalties.

Slim Buster’s revelation therefore adds another voice to the long-running debate over transparency, record-keeping and the timely payment of royalties to Ghanaian musicians, particularly veterans whose music continues to be played years after its release.

Watch the interview below:

“I haven’t received royalties for 12 years now.” — @Slimbusterr, when asked whether he has received royalties from GHAMRO.#CruiseControl #Hitz1039Fm pic.twitter.com/rNn4qdmwst

— Hitz 103.9 FM (@Hitz1039FM) September 9, 2026

Source: Yvonne Nyarko Agyemang