Ghanaian musician KiDi has opened up about his decision to leave Lynx Entertainment, revealing that his contract with the record label had ended and that he personally felt it was time to move on and build his own path in the music industry.
The award-winning singer made the revelation during an interview on TV3, where he addressed questions about his relationship with Lynx Entertainment, his former boss Richie Mensah and whether his departure from the label was caused by money or disagreements.
KiDi, whose real name is Dennis Nana Dwamena, explained that his contract had reached its end and there had been discussions about extending the agreement, but he eventually decided that he wanted to take the next step in his career independently.
KiDi says his contract with Lynx had ended
According to KiDi, his departure from Lynx Entertainment was not sudden because his existing contract with the label had already come to an end.
He said there were conversations about the possibility of extending the agreement, but after spending about 10 years with the label, he believed he had reached a stage in his career where he needed to experience life as an independent artiste.
“I mean, my contract the time was up. There was conversation of extension. You know, in football when your contract is up We had a contract with you of possibility of extension. I was like, “You know what? I feel like it’s time, you know. I’ve spent 10 years here, and learned from a young kid when I was discovered. Also, I’ve gone through the ranks. I’ve paid my dues.”
KiDi said his time at Lynx Entertainment had played an important role in his development, particularly because he joined the label as a young musician and had the opportunity to learn and grow within the company.
He believes he had reached a point where he had learned the lessons he needed and was ready to take responsibility for the next stage of his career.
“I’ve done everything that a young boy is supposed to do to grow. I’ve learned all my lessons. I feel like it’s time to go outside into the world and chart out my own path, build my own stuff, you know. So, I was like, “You know what?” I I spoke to Richie. I was like, “Richie, thank you for everything, you know. I appreciate where you took me from, where you brought me, but I feel like it’s time. It’s time for me to go out there and, you know, build my own, you know, so, yeah.”
KiDi says money was not the reason he left
One of the major questions surrounding artistes who leave established record labels is whether financial disagreements played a role in the decision.
KiDi, however, does not believe money was the main reason behind his decision to leave Lynx Entertainment.
When asked directly whether his departure was connected to money issues, he explained that there had been both positive and negative experiences during his time with the label, but there was still an opportunity for the two sides to continue working together.
“Oh, I don’t think it was a money issue. I mean, there was a lot of issues, a lot of good, a lot of bad, but at the end of the day, there was still the possibility of continuing to work together.”
Rather than continuing under the existing arrangement, KiDi said he simply felt that he wanted to establish something of his own.
“You know, I just felt like I just wanted to start my [music] own thing, you know.”
His comments provide a different explanation from the kind of speculation that often surrounds the departure of popular Ghanaian musicians from record labels.
Instead of presenting the situation as a financial dispute or a bitter disagreement, KiDi described it as a personal career decision that came after years of learning, working and developing as an artiste.
KiDi says there is no bad blood with Richie Mensah
KiDi also addressed his relationship with Richie Mensah, the founder and head of Lynx Entertainment, following his departure from the label.
The singer made it clear that leaving the company did not mean that his relationship with Richie had ended.
When asked whether he still speaks to his former boss, KiDi said they have continued to see each other.
“Of course. I’ve seen him like two or three times this year. We went to a wedding together. You see, there’s there’s nothing There’s no bad blood, actually.”
The statement is significant because disagreements between artistes and record labels can sometimes lead to public tension, particularly when an artiste leaves after several years.
KiDi, however, said his experience should not automatically be interpreted through that lens.
‘Artists can leave on good notes’
KiDi questioned why the departure of an artiste from a record label is often immediately linked to allegations of fights, money or bad blood.
According to him, there can be disagreements and challenges in any professional relationship without the relationship necessarily ending badly.
“I don’t know why when an artist leaves a label, the first point of the topic is there is bad blood, there is fights, there is money. Like, people can literally leave on good notes. I don’t know why that con- that concept does not occur to people. Yes, there will always be issues. Nowhere is perfect, but there is a possibility that you leave and shake hands and say, “Listen, I’m going, but should I need your help any day, I can always come back and, you know, ask for it you know”
His comments suggest that, while there may have been challenges during his decade-long relationship with Lynx Entertainment, those challenges did not prevent him from maintaining respect for the people who helped shape his career.
A decade of growth at Lynx Entertainment
KiDi’s comments also offer an insight into how he views his time at Lynx Entertainment.
He did not describe the label simply as a business arrangement. Instead, he spoke about the company as a place where he developed from a young artiste into an established musician.
His journey with Lynx helped introduce him to a wider Ghanaian audience and provided a platform from which he built a successful career.
The label is also associated with several prominent Ghanaian musicians, with Richie Mensah playing a major role in developing artistes under the Lynx Entertainment brand.
For KiDi, however, the decision to leave appears to have been connected to a natural transition in his career.
After spending years learning within an established structure, he now wants to take control of his own creative direction and build something independently.
What KiDi’s comments mean for his career
KiDi’s decision comes at an important stage of his career because he is no longer the young musician who first entered the industry.
Over the years, he has developed into one of Ghana’s recognised contemporary music acts, with a catalogue that includes popular songs and international collaborations.
His decision to pursue his own path therefore represents more than simply leaving a record label.
It marks a transition from developing under an established music company to taking greater responsibility for the business and creative decisions surrounding his career.
For many Ghanaian artistes, this stage can be both exciting and challenging because independence brings greater creative control but also requires the artiste and their team to handle responsibilities that may previously have been managed by a record label.
