Fans reacted sharply after gunfire broke out near a grocery store where Toxic Lyrikali stood, early Sunday evening in Kiamaiko. The rapper stumbled back, then disappeared into a passing van as the mob shouted and doors slammed shut.
Since Sunday, video clips have spread fast across messaging apps, each one adding new angles but never clear footage of who fired. Tension hums louder now between crews linked to different estates, their tracks lately filled with sharper lines than before. Officers showed up hours later, tape fluttering around empty shell casings by Tuesday morning.
Footage spreading online captures chaos near a car said to be linked to the musician, strangers closing in fast. A crowd forms around the driver’s seat while glass cracks under swinging arms, not words. Shouts rise above the scraping metal as someone tries to pull him out into the open street. He fights through, grabbing hands just before things spiral further. Blood might have been spilled – no one confirms how much. Silence follows where sirens should answer.
Someone thinks the clash ties back to a fight brewing in drill and rap music lately, since angry songs trading insults have filled internet spaces just days ago. Though rapping against rivals has always existed in hip-hop history, folks who follow closely now argue that what happened in Kiamaiko shows lines blurring between stage battles and street harm.
A voice came through after it happened – Toxic Lyrikali speaking up where people could see. Music fights belong behind mics, he said, not on corners or sidewalks. His message moved slowly, asking those who listened to keep their energy cool. Let sound stay loud, but bodies step back – he framed it like that. Streets aren’t stages, one line went. Fans heard him pause between words, letting silence do some work too.
Now voices are rising again over artist safety during shows, filming, or trips into areas tied to opposing fans. Trouble bubbling up online has pushed some rappers and analysts to urge police and local figures to step in before things turn violent.
Baffled by rising tensions, people wonder what safety looks like in Kenya’s surging city soundscapes. Still waiting, listeners hope for clarity from officials while artists circle close around a member caught in turmoil.
