Lynx Entertainment is arguably, no, there is no argument, it is the most recognised and most powerful record label in Ghana and one of the highly placed labels in Africa.

And it has taken 14 years of dedication, consistency, perseverance and commitment to achieve its current status.

It is the most popular label in the country at the moment; the five-year-old music lover and his 80-year-old grandmother know exactly what Lynx is and who they represent.

Interestingly, this label came, saw, conquered and watched as a couple of labels came around, huffed and puffed then fizzled. With all the industry-related challenges, these guys at Lynx still continue to conquer. The time to pen an ode to the hardworking unit at Lynx is now!

Longevity
There has been no influential record label since Megastar, the biggest label in the 90s which served as the home for the likes of Amakye Dede, Tagoe Sisters, Rev. Yawson, Nana Yaw Obeng, Kontihene, Pat Thomas, Akwasi Ampofo Adjei (AAA), the Megastar Band and many others.

Since 2006, Lynx has shaped and controlled the narrative of labels and artiste projection in Ghana and clearly, it surely would be part of the conversation in the next 10 years if the team maintains the structure, commitment and dedication they have shown all these years.

Interestingly, in its years of operation, these astute guys at Lynx Entertainment; Richie Mensah, Albert Mensah, Richmond Adu Poku and the celebrated Abraham Ohene Djan -together with their legion of partners and supporters – have parlayed the success of the label into other enterprises such as Hypernet, the digital marketing agency which provides a premium suite of digital marketing services as well as the production of commercials and modelling.

Lynx Entertainment has survived a higgledy-piggledy industry for the past 14 years, maintaining its relevance and dominance.

Haven for artistes
Since 2006, the Lynx stable has officially signed a total of 10 artistes; Richie Mensah, ASEM, Eazzy, Ziggy, OJ Black, Irene Logan, MzVee, KiDi, Kuami Eugene, and Dope Nation.

Presently, only Kuami Eugene and KiDi remain on the roster and that’s not a problem at all, especially when they are among the top 10 biggest acts in Ghana at the moment.

Most of these names attained relevance, prominence and critical mention during their time with the label.

Kuami Eugene

I personally do not believe and subscribe to the ‘Lynx curse’ which is ascribed to artistes failing in their careers when they leave the label.

That is not entirely true but what is true is the indisputable fact of Lynx being that stable that gives any artiste the ability to become a star, whether in the short or long term. That guarantee of getting at least a hit record and a taste of fame and popularity is manifested in every artiste that has ever been signed.

The chaps at the label have the blueprint on how to make any ordinary Joe a star and over the years, experience and tact have solidified Lynx’s positioning as one of the most reliable record labels across Africa.

Accolades
An acknowledgment of merit is welcome by any entity in every sector. Awards are a testament of excellence in any field of endeavour and Lynx and its artistes have over the years garnered plenty.

In 14 years, the label has delivered 14 albums via its recording artistes with MzVee having the most albums, three; followed by Kuami Eugene, KiDi, ASEM and Richie Mensah, who all had two respectively.

The likes of Eazzy, Ziggy, OJ Black and Irene Logan had one each. Clearly, the label believes in a body of work called an album, and every artiste who signed on to the label, at least had a legacy of an album to gloat about – and if Dope Nation had stayed longer, they surely would have delivered an album.

While producing hit singles and albums, the label has also been racking up a deluge of awards via its artistes. Since 2006, Lynx Entertainment-recording artistes have won the most Ghana Music Awards/Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, more than any label in Ghana.

The highlight of their award-winning spree came in 2015 and 2016 when a relatively new act in the name of MzVee, got a nomination in June 2015 in the Best International New Artist category, an all-new category introduced for the BET Awards. In 2016, she became the first-ever Ghanaian female artiste to gain a nomination at the BET Awards for the Best International Act –Africa.

Structure
Lynx is not a big record label like your Zylofon, EMI, Warner, or Sony with all the gargantuan resources and manpower but whatever structure they have works and has been impressive for over a decade. From the wings of production to songwriting to marketing/promotion – that construction has been very effective.

When you have more than one music star on the label, there’s always bound to be related issues; matters on which artiste to project first, what single, album to release first, which act gets what show, what endorsement deal fits who the better etc.

There’s always competition among these artistes regardless of how cordial their relationship is, under the same label. When egos, emotions and sentiments of these artistes, usually fueled by their ‘advisors’ and hangers-on, are not managed well – there’s bound to be chaos.

Kidi

In the case of Lynx, albeit having some fall-outs along the line, time and experience have allowed them to manage their structure well, especially in the case of Kuami Eugene and KiDi.

Influence
You ever wonder how almost every single released under the label is a hit? Have you ever wondered how artistes under the label easily get onto the playlist of radio stations and TV stations across the country?

Do you ever think about how Kuami Eugene and KiDi have been playing all the high profile shows in and outside the country? Do you ever wonder how these two guys continue to remain relevant since their emergence in mainstream music?

The answer is simple; the influence of Lynx Entertainment!

The label has become extremely influential with their plug-ins in every department of the industry, from blogs to newspapers to radio to TV to events to corporate engagements.

They also just don’t deliver on the ‘show’ bit of show business, they have such a grasp on the business side of things too, an attribute that have seen them deliver varied lucrative endorsement deals for their artistes, stretching all the way back to 2009 when ASEM was signed on as Glo ambassador, all the way to KiDi having a partnership with Samsung.

With their level of expertise and business acumen, it is a given that the publishing, licensing and digital publishing of their music are well sorted.

Big shoutouts
To Richie Mensah, Albert Mensah, Richmond Adu Poku and the legendary Abraham Ohene Djan and all the partners, a big shout out to you for your effort and dedication in elevating the narrative of record labels in Africa and giving such hope to Ghanaian musicians and the entire arts industry.

Source: Graphic.com.gh