Singer Harrysong cries out, begs Kcee to refund his royalties

Nigerian singer, Harrison Okiri, popularly known as Harrysong, has pleaded with Kingsley Okonkwo, co-founder of his former record label, known as Kcee, to pay his seven years’ worth of royalties.

Harrysong, in a post on his X handle (formerly Twitter), called on Nigerians to help plead with Kcee to release his royalties.

The Delta-born artiste alleged that Kcee has been collecting 100% of the royalties for his songs ‘Regae Blues,’ ‘Baba for the Girls,’ ‘Samankwe,’ ‘Better Pikin,’ ‘Ofeshe,’ and others.

The Alterplate record label boss described Kcee’s collection of his royalties as unfair, begging the singer to give him his rightful percentage.

The artiste who rose to fame after releasing his singles ‘I’m In Love’ and ‘Taiye & Kehinde’ claimed that for more than seven years, Kcee had been collecting 100% of his share.

He further accused the singer of being a bully and power-hungry.

“May God not let us work, and another man just be reaping our hard-earned success in Jesus’ name,” he stated.

The singer’s statement read: “I’m Here to beg you all to help me and follow me beg Kingsley Okonkwo, known as Kcee. To refund my money and release my songs. For more than 7 years now, he’s been the one collecting 100 per cent of my royalty from Reggea blues , baba for the girls, samankwe , better Pikin, Ofeshe, (all my big songs). He collects one hundred per cent of all my royalties it’s not fair.

“At least, he can take his per cent and give me what is rightfully mine, I started this by begging, na beg I Dey beg am, I know he likes to bully, he’s the power mike, help me beg him, the songs are mine, he should at least be fair to give me wat is rightfully mine. May God not let us work, and another man just be reaping our hard end sweet in Jesus’ name.”

Background

In 2017, a public dispute erupted between Harrysong and Kcee/Five Star Music, with Harrysong accusing them of royalty withholding, unfair treatment, and creative restrictions.

He claimed he wasn’t receiving his rightful share of profits from his hit songs and faced contract limitations.

Harrysong further felt undervalued and restricted by the label’s terms, citing limited creative freedom and unfair profit sharing.

Song credits were another point of contention, further straining their relationship.

Harrysong claimed to have revived Kcee’s career during a difficult period, writing and co-producing some of his biggest hits, including ‘Limpopo,’ ‘Pull Over,’ and ‘Okpekete.’

However, the record label denied these accusations, countering that they had fulfilled all contractual obligations to Harrysong and instead accused him of breaching his contract and pursuing unauthorised business ventures.

Five Star Music insisted they treated Harrysong fairly and played a crucial role in launching his career, adding weight to their counterclaims.

Both parties filed lawsuits against each other, dragging the dispute into the public eye. This led to Harrysong seeking to terminate his contract, while Five Star Music demanded compensation for alleged breaches.

In 2019, Harrysong publicly extended an olive branch to Kcee and E-Money, the co-founder of Five Star Music, acknowledging his anger at the time but expressing appreciation for their support in his earlier career.

This gesture hinted at a potential move towards reconciliation, but it wasn’t followed by any concrete actions. Neither party formally reconciled, and the legal issues appear unresolved.

While there haven’t been any recent public clashes, Harrysong continues his career with his own label, Alterplate Music, and Kcee remains with Five Star Music. The tensions of the 2017 dispute seem to linger, despite the lack of public conflict.