After a Decade in Music, M.anifest Says Ghana Paid Him Nothing
After more than a decade in music, M.anifest says he has never received a single cedi (the official currency of the Republic of Ghana) in royalties from Ghana.
The Ghanaian rapper made the revelation during the Protecting What You Create seminar, shared on Instagram on 28 February 2026.
His admission quickly shifted attention to what he describes as a deeply flawed creative system.
According to the award-winning artiste, Ghana’s creative industry is operating with broken and at times non existent infrastructure.
He said musicians and businesspeople are forced to build careers within weak structures that offer little long term support.
M.anifest also questioned how many venues artistes can realistically tour across the country, pointing to limited performance spaces as another major setback.
Still, he did not frame his message as defeat. Instead, he urged creatives to embrace technology, calling it the current equaliser.
In his view, success in Ghana requires strategy, innovation and the understanding that the journey is an uphill climb.