Kenyan rapper Toxic Lyrikali has returned to Kayole, Nairobi, the neighbourhood where he spent much of his childhood, to reflect on the difficult circumstances that shaped his life before music transformed his fortunes. Walking through the Soweto area, the rapper revisited places connected to hunger, manual labour, street culture and the early experiences that influenced his identity. He recalled growing up in a single-parent household and living through periods when food was not always guaranteed. He also spoke about growing up without a father figure and finding guidance and companionship among boys from the neighbourhood. His return offered a personal look at the journey from collecting scrap metal at a dumpsite to becoming one of the increasingly recognised names in Kenyan rap.
Toxic shared these memories during a vlog by content creators 18 Carati and Marianne Vivela on their MV18 Global YouTube channel. The visit took him through the streets of Kayole’s Soweto area, where he spent much of his childhood. Rather than presenting Kayole simply as the backdrop to his success story, Toxic spoke about the difficult realities he experienced while growing up there. His memories included financial hardship, hunger and the need to find ways of making money while still young. The rapper’s account provides context for the themes of struggle, survival and ambition that have become part of his public identity.
One of the most personal parts of Toxic’s reflection involved his childhood without a father figure. He explained that the boys he encountered in the neighbourhood became an important source of influence and guidance as he grew up. He described them as the people who effectively filled the role that a father might have played in his life. Growing up in that environment meant that friendships and relationships with other young men became an important part of his social development. His comments also show how neighbourhood communities can shape young people when formal family support is limited.
Toxic also remembered a childhood marked by food insecurity. He said breakfast could consist of hot water and a piece of mandazi, while lunch was often skipped because there was not enough food available. The family sometimes depended on a local shopkeeper who allowed them to obtain groceries on credit and sometimes helped provide supper. These memories show the financial pressures that affected his household and the importance of community support during difficult periods. For Toxic, hunger was not an occasional inconvenience but part of the reality he associated with growing up in Kayole.
Before his music career began to gain momentum, Toxic worked at a local dumpsite to earn money. He said he collected scrap metal, copper, plastics and cartons, with the amount he earned depending on the material and its weight. The work provided a way to raise money for basic needs at a time when opportunities were limited. He later moved into manual construction work, commonly known as mjengo, before music began providing a different path. His experience at the dumpsite later became an important part of his personal story and his understanding of where he came from.
The rapper said he continued working at the dumpsite until around 2023, the same period when his music career began changing significantly. That overlap is important because it places his breakthrough within a period of major personal transition. He moved from collecting materials for income and taking on manual work to pursuing music more seriously as his songs reached larger audiences. His journey did not happen overnight, even though his eventual rise in popularity appeared rapid to many listeners. The years of hardship before his breakthrough form an important part of the story behind Toxic Lyrikali.
Toxic has also explained that his stage name reflects the environment that surrounded him while growing up. He said the word “Toxic” was influenced by the difficult and “intoxicated” environment associated with the dumpsite and ghetto life. He explained that “Lyrikali” comes from the Swahili word “kali”, which can refer to something bitter, fierce or gangster-like. The name therefore connects his music persona with the environment and experiences that influenced him. His explanation gives additional context to the identity he has developed as an artist.
Music was already part of Toxic’s life before he became a professional recording artist. He said he began freestyling while he was in high school in 2019. At that stage, music was not yet the career that would eventually make him widely known. He continued developing his interest in rap before beginning to pursue music professionally several years later. His musical influences included Jamaican dancehall artists such as Vybz Kartel and Tommy Lee, whose work contributed to the sound and culture he absorbed while growing up.
The major turning point came in 2023 when Toxic’s song “Thugnificent” reached a much wider audience. The track became an important breakthrough for the rapper and helped move his music beyond the immediate audience around him. Its success was followed by “Chinje” in November 2024, which became his first song to reach one million views at the time. The continued growth of his audience showed that his music could travel beyond Kayole and reach listeners across Kenya. For an artist who had spent years working at a dumpsite and doing manual labour, the growing attention marked a major change in his circumstances.
“Chinje” later became one of the biggest songs in Toxic’s catalogue, reaching more than 20 million views on YouTube by September 2026. The milestone represented another significant stage in his rise within Kenyan rap. His catalogue has continued to grow, with several other songs attracting millions of views and listeners. The figures surrounding his music show the scale of the audience he has built since his breakthrough. They also demonstrate how digital platforms have created new opportunities for artists to reach audiences without relying solely on traditional music industry structures.
Toxic’s success extends beyond a handful of viral songs. He has built a catalogue that includes multiple tracks with millions of YouTube views and a substantial following on streaming platforms. His Spotify audience has also grown, with more than 10 of his songs surpassing one million streams and hundreds of thousands of monthly listeners reported in September 2026. “Backbencher” has emerged as his most-streamed song on Spotify, with approximately 6.4 million streams. These figures reflect the rapid expansion of his audience since his professional breakthrough in 2023.
The rapper has also expanded his musical network through collaborations with other Kenyan artists. His work has involved artists including Dyana Cods, Kapitani, Mauru Gwash, Bridgette Blue, Zzero Sufuri and Master VK. These collaborations have helped connect his sound with different parts of Kenya’s growing urban music scene. He has also worked with British Afroswing collective NSG, extending his collaborations beyond Kenya. The international connection demonstrates how his music has begun reaching creative networks outside the local environment where his career started.
Toxic’s relationship with Kayole has remained important even as his profile has grown. He has previously returned to the same dumpsite where he once collected scrap metal to film his “Confirmation” music video featuring Mr Ree. The decision to film at that location gave the video a strong connection to his personal history. The site was no longer simply a place where he worked to earn money for food. It had become a physical reminder of the period before his music career changed his circumstances.
His latest return to Kayole also showed how his relationships with people from the neighbourhood have developed alongside his success. During the vlog, Toxic received a warm reception from residents and childhood friends who recognised him from his years in the area. He explained that the relationships he built growing up continue to provide a sense of familiarity and security when he returns. The people around him today include individuals who knew him before he became a recognised musician. That connection gives his return to Kayole a personal dimension that goes beyond nostalgia.
Toxic has also used his growing platform to support people in his former community. His efforts have included helping residents with food and other basic items while encouraging young artists from Kayole to pursue their own creative ambitions. He has shown particular support for artists such as Kapitani and Mr Ree, who are also connected to the area. His approach reflects an effort to maintain ties with the community that shaped him. It also gives his success a wider meaning by creating opportunities for other young people who may be facing circumstances similar to those he experienced.
The rapper’s story also highlights the role that local environments can play in shaping an artist’s identity. Kayole provided Toxic with both difficult experiences and relationships that influenced his worldview. Hunger, manual work and street life became part of his early reality, while friendships and community connections helped him navigate those circumstances. Music eventually provided a way for him to turn some of those experiences into creative expression. His career shows how personal history can remain closely connected to an artist’s sound, image and public identity even after circumstances change.
Toxic Lyrikali’s return to Kayole is therefore more than a visit to his childhood neighbourhood. It is a reflection on the journey from poverty and hunger to a growing career in Kenyan hip hop. His memories of collecting scrap metal, working at the dumpsite and relying on people around him provide important context for understanding the artist he has become. His breakthrough in 2023 opened a new chapter, while songs such as “Thugnificent” and “Chinje” helped establish his name with a much larger audience. By returning to the streets and places that shaped his early life, Toxic has shown that his rise in music remains closely connected to the community and experiences that came before his success.
