‘Someone built a house with my music, but I earned nothing’ - Rex Omar recounts

Veteran Ghanaian musician and Director of the Black Star Experience, Rex Marfo Omar, has recounted what led him to fight for royalties for musicians and other creatives in Ghana’s music industry.

Speaking at the just-ended Black Star Fashion Week at Royal Senchi on November 7, 2026, Rex Omar shared how, after struggling to produce his first hit album, he ended up broke despite the success of the project.

According to the celebrated musician, he initially ventured into gospel music and recorded two albums. However, the projects failed to make an impact, forcing him to switch to Highlife music.

Further sharing his story, Rex Omar said he was disappointed by the church’s failure to support him when he needed sponsorship.

“Disappointed as I was, I went out looking for money, and I got somebody from the world at the church, will say it, and he gave me the money to go to the studio. That is how I shifted from gospel to secular, and I recorded Habiba, and it became a hit,” he said.

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Rex Omar recounted how, despite selling about 20,000 copies of his first hit album, he made no money from the project.

He said while he struggled financially, someone else had made money from his hard work, revealing that the individual had even built a house using proceeds from his music.

“Now, after the album became a hit, I’ve sold over 20,000 copies. Then when you sell 20,000 copies, it means it’s a big hit. Meanwhile, I was broke. I sold 30,000; I was still broke. One day, I was on my way somewhere in Adum in Kumasi. I met a gentleman. As soon as he saw me, he hurriedly embraced me. He was so happy, carried me, and he said, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have built my house.

“Then I said, how? He said, you see, I bought one of your songs, and I recorded it on cassette, and out of that I built a house. So you see, me, the creator, the hustler who has released this album and I’ve sold 30,000 copies, and I don’t even know where the money is; somebody has built a house out of my sweat,” he added.

Rex Omar, Coordinator of the Black Star Experience, has recounted how he made little to no money despite selling thousands of copies of his debut album. Speaking at the Presidential Blackstar Fashion Week at the Royal Senchi Hotel in Akosombo, he shared how the experience inspired his fight for better royalty payments and fair compensation for creatives in Ghana.

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— GhanaWeb (@TheGhanaWeb) November 8, 2026

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