Toxic Lyrikali on how he overcame Kayole ghetto life to Kenya’s Dancehall success

Kenyan rapper Toxic Lyrikali has returned to the Kayole neighborhood in Nairobi where he spent much of his childhood, reflecting on the poverty, hardship and street culture that shaped his journey into music.

The rapper revisited his former neighborhood in a vlog by content creators 18 Carati and Marianne Vivela on their YouTube channel, MV18 Global.

Walking through the streets of Kayole's Soweto area, Toxic reflected on growing up in a single-parent household, surviving periods of hunger and working at a dumpsite to raise money for basic needs.

He recalled growing up without a father figure, saying the boys he encountered in the neighborhood became an important part of his upbringing.

“I didn't have like a father you know, so my father figure was boys from the ghetto, boys from the hood.”

‘I used to be hungry’

Toxic said his childhood was marked by severe financial difficulties, with food not always guaranteed at home.

He recalled that breakfast could consist of hot water and a piece of mandazi, while lunch was often skipped.

“Breakfast it's like hot water and just a piece of mandazi... Lunch most of the time we don't eat... He [shopkeeper] is the one used to help me, give supper sometimes. I used to be hungry man.”

The rapper said the family sometimes relied on a local shopkeeper who allowed them to obtain groceries on credit.

Before gaining recognition as a musician, Toxic worked at the local dumpsite collecting materials that could be sold for money.

He said he collected scrap metal, copper, plastics and cartons, with his earnings depending on the material and its weight.

“This is where we used to sell scrap metals to get the money for food... I worked here for all my life... 2023 then I start leaving this job.”

He later took up manual construction work, commonly known as mjengo, before his music career began gaining traction.

The rapper's account places much of his transformation around 2023, when his music started reaching a wider audience.

Toxic also explained the meaning behind his stage name, which he said was influenced by the environment in which he grew up.

According to the rapper, “Toxic” reflected the difficult and “intoxicated” environment surrounding the dumpsite and ghetto life.

“Lyrikali,” meanwhile, draws from the Swahili word kali, which he explained can be used to describe something bitter, fierce or gangster-like.

“Kali is a Swahili word which means bitter... so we use bitter to say something gangster bad... Toxic Lyrikali.”

His music was also influenced heavily by Jamaican dancehall, with artists such as Vybz Kartel and Tommy Lee among the figures he listened to while growing up.

‘Thugnificent’ and ‘Chinje’ change his fortunes

Toxic said he had started freestyling while in high school in 2019, but only began pursuing music professionally several years later.

His major breakthrough came in 2023 with “Thugnificent,” which he says helped introduce him to a much wider audience.

He followed it with “Chinje,” which became his first song to reach one million views.

“It was on 2023... my song Thugnificent blew up... then I released Chinje and my first million [views]... Not all ghetto artists get the recognition and love, so I'm like the first artist to break that cycle.”

He later filmed the music video for “Confirmation” at the same Kayole dumpsite where he had previously collected scrap metal, including scenes filmed on top of a bulldozer.

For Toxic, the location represented more than a music-video setting. It was a reminder of the environment he had worked to escape.

The vlog also showed the reception Toxic received from residents and childhood friends during his return to Kayole.

He explained that the same people he grew up with in the neighborhood now help protect him when he returns.

While outsiders can face security risks in parts of the area, Toxic said his longstanding relationships with residents allow him to move around safely.

His relationship with Kayole has also extended into his work with young people.

He has used his platform to support residents, including buying food and other items for children, while encouraging upcoming artists from the area.

Among those he has sought to support are fellow Kayole artists such as Kapitani and Mr Ree.

Toxic Lyrikali's return to Kayole offered a glimpse into the circumstances behind the persona and lyrics that have helped establish him in Kenya's music scene