Richie Mensah urges music industry to normalize artiste departures from labels

Musicians outgrowing their record labels should not be treated as betrayals, says Richie Mensah, CEO of Lynx Group Limited. The industry veteran is calling for a shift in how fans and insiders react when artistes move on from contracts, a recurring topic surrounding his label, Lynx Entertainment.

Appearing on Joy Prime’s Changes, Richie tackled the often-asked question of why numerous artistes, including Eazzy, have parted ways with his label. He stressed that transitions should be seen as natural, not scandalous.

“I never think like that because first of all, it will be selfish to say an artiste should never leave. You know, how a label and artistes contract works is that you put somebody on; you help the person to a point but it gets to a point, they can sort of handle things for themselves. So, they don’t need as much support as they did in the beginning. At that point, it’s now up to them if they want to keep continuing with support or they want to find their own path,” he said.

Richie acknowledged that while he fully respects those choices, letting go isn’t always easy. There are times he wonders what more he could have done to contribute to an artist’s growth before they left.

But despite occasional disappointment, he insists there’s no bitterness in watching his signees forge new paths.

Reflecting on past experiences, Richie pointed to one departure that genuinely shook him—when Asem, the label’s very first signed act, walked away.

“The one that surprised me the most was Asem because that was the first time it happened,” Richie Mensah disclosed.