NewsKwesi Arthur's Redemption opens his new album with a Twi line about the devil
The first track on Redemption Valley came out two weeks after his public dispute with his former label Ground Up. No ruling in the libel case has been reported.
"Redemption" is the opening track on Kwesi Arthur's album Redemption Valley. The official lyric video went up on his channel on 6 February 2026. The song runs just over two minutes and was produced by M.O.G Beatz. Native Mag lists the album at eight tracks.
There is no music video. The lyric video is built from photographs of the rapper, including one from the BET Awards carpet.
From the streets of Tema
Early in the song he sings that old scars have healed. Kwesi Arthur has spoken before about growing up around his mother's shop in Community 5, Tema, and being sent home from school every term over fees.
His rise came with Ground Up. The "Grind Day" remix with Sarkodie and Medikal won Hip Hop Song of the Year at the 2018 VGMAs, and he was nominated at the BET Awards the same year. Son of Jacob followed in 2022 and the EP This Is Not The Tape III in 2024.
The dispute
On 21 January 2026, Kwesi Arthur said in a statement that his former label wanted US$150,000 before he could use photographs of himself in an independent project, and that it claimed rights to his image and music from 2016 to date.
The next day, Ground Up's lawyer, Jonathan K. Amable, told a Joy FM X Space hosted by Kwame Dadzie that only footage created during the contract belonged to the label, and that it was not stopping him from using his own image. He read an email saying the rapper had benefited from £91,370 in royalty payments.
A writ dated 27 January 2026 was filed at the High Court in Accra, suing Kwesi Arthur for libel and seeking more than GH¢10 million. No ruling or settlement had been reported as of 21 October.
The bridge
In the bridge, the song switches to Twi. "Bosam mpo suro" means even the devil is afraid. The next lines say his enemies have formed a group, and that if anyone destroys him, the shame belongs to them. He names no one.
The breakdown also catches one changed line. In the first verse, he sings about scars healing. In the same spot in the second verse, he sings about taking back his glory.
The episode is a sequel to the BAR FOR BAR breakdown of his 2017 song "Devil Knocking".
In 2017 the devil was knocking. In 2026 he sings that the devil is afraid. Two weeks after a fight over pictures of himself, he dressed this song in pictures of himself. I'm not the judge in that case. I'm only reading the song.
- Native Mag: Redemption Valley, eight tracks, prod. M.O.G Beatz (11 Feb 2026)
- Kwesi Arthur on YouTube: Redemption official lyric video (6 Feb 2026)
- notjustOK: Redemption credits and release (Feb 2026)
- 3Music, Yen and Native Mag: Kwesi Arthur's statement on Ground Up (21 Jan 2026)
- MyJoyOnline: Ground Up lawyer Jonathan K. Amable on Joy FM X Spaces (22 Jan 2026)
- Adom Online, MyJoyOnline, Ghanaian Times, Yen and The Herald: libel writ at the High Court, Accra (27 Jan 2026)
- Graphic Showbiz: Kwesi Arthur on school fees (15 Feb 2018)
- Citi TV, The Delay Show: his mother's shop in Tema Community 5 (6 Nov 2018)
- Wikipedia and Modern Ghana: Grind Day remix, VGMA 2018 and BET 2018 nomination
Every factual line in this story is checked against at least two independent sources, unless the text says it comes from one report.