Rex Omar Recounts How Man Built A House From His Music While He Remained Broke

Story By: Zainab Ali

Veteran Ghanaian highlife musician Rex Omar has recounted a painful experience from his music career, revealing how a man allegedly made enough money from selling copied versions of his music to build a house while he personally received little financial benefit.

The musician shared the experience during the Black Star Fashion Week event held at the Royal Senchi Hotel in Akosombo on November 7, 2026.
According to Rex Omar, his breakthrough album, which featured his popular song Abiba, recorded impressive sales figures, eventually exceeding 30,000 copies. However, despite the album’s commercial success, he said he did not enjoy the financial rewards expected from such a successful project.

He recalled an encounter in Adum, Kumasi, where a man recognised him, embraced him excitedly and explained that he had built a house using money earned from reproducing and selling copies of one of the musician’s songs on cassette tapes.

The revelation left a lasting impression on the musician, who described the experience as an example of how creators can lose out financially when their intellectual property is exploited without proper compensation.

The experience, he explained, contributed to his determination to advocate for better copyright protection and fair royalty payments for Ghanaian musicians and other creatives.

Rex Omar, who previously served as chairman of the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO), has been vocal about the need to strengthen the systems responsible for protecting musicians’ works and ensuring they receive what they deserve.

His latest revelation has once again brought attention to the longstanding concerns surrounding music piracy, copyright protection and the financial welfare of Ghana’s creative industry.