Popular Kenyan rapper Lil Maina has been involved in a royalty dispute with Producer Kanzu.
The producer claimed that he didn’t receive any royalties from the track ‘Kishash’ despite its massive success on the online space. The song presently has over 8 million views on YouTube. In a video circulating on social media he said,
“My name is Kanzu. I produced Kishash kwa Bahs. Yeah, that was me. I did the work… The interesting story is I have never made money for Kishash. I have never seen royalties, bro,”
Kanzu insisted on the importance of ensuring fair compensation. He advised other producers to assert rights to royalties.
Lil Maina accused Kanzu for not being transparent and asserted that he always paid him for every work.
“Tell everyone the truth. Every job you did, I made sure I paid. Facts. Stop lying on the internet.”
Lil Maina asserted that Kishash was a platform that the duo used to progress in their careers.
Kanzu said that he didn’t intend to criticise Lil Maina but encourage other producers to learn from the experience.
“I’m not here to complain, and I’m not here to put down Lil Maina,” Kanzu said. “But for any producers out there, bro, make sure your paperwork is in order. Make sure you get the bag. Don’t watch the artist get rich, that’s not how the story ends, sindio?”
Despite the current dispute, Kanzu is still hopeful of producing good and quality music in the future.
“If I did it once, I feel like I can do it again. And this time, I want it to be more original. I want it to sound better. I want it to be me. Making music is what I do. Making hits is what I do.”