Why Every Kenyan Rapper Wants to be Toxic Lyrikali Right Now

In the words of Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn, also known as Toxic King, “you do what you can when you are popping”. And right now, there is nobody more popping than Toxic Lyrikali in Kenya’s Hip Hop scene.

It’s very difficult to create a hit song; for some, it takes years, while others get lucky and have one hit song, only to be unable to replicate it. A hit is a gift and a curse. When Toxic Lyrikali’s Chinje became a hit song, that is when many people first got to know the man whose real name is Fidel Omondi. What many did not see coming was Backbencher, which went on to become even bigger than the first hit. Toxic, however, doesn’t just have two hit songs; most, if not all, of the songs on his YouTube channel have over 1 million views.

Hit songs, however, bring enemies and haters who believe that they should be the ones with the hit song, getting shows, and in the position that someone else is in because they believe they should be the one in that position. So, it wasn’t long before other rappers who had been in the rap game before Toxic Lyrikali started to get offended by his success.

It started with Baba Hakeem, who dropped a diss track or multiple diss tracks targeting Toxic Lyrikali, which Toxic responded to through his song Euphoria. Then came Tipsy Gee, who went online to rant after Toxic refused to give him a collabo, only to pee his pants when he met Toxic in real life. It was clear that both Baba Hakeem and Tipsy Gee wanted to be in the position that Toxic Lyrikali was in.

But nobody would have expected that Buruklyn Boyz would also one day diss Toxic Lyrikali. Why? Because in 2021, it was Buruklyn Boyz moment. They were the ones that were popping, and if anybody understands what it’s like to be popping, it’s them. But it’s 2026 now, and the sad truth is that you cannot be popping forever. Like Nyashinski fell off, Toxic Lyrikali will also one day be replaced as the best rapper in the 254. But for right now, Toxic Lyrikali is the man to beat. Every song he drops is a hit. The man is on fire. He is popping! And when you are popping, everybody wants to be you or beat you. Nobody hates or disses someone who is losing. In Hip Hop, you either diss someone who you want to be like, think you are better than, or someone you think is at your level. With every attack, Toxic Lyrikali does not seem to be slowing down, ready to respond and defend what is rightly his. Toxic Lyrikali is popping right now, and it makes a lot of rappers mad because they want to have a hit song and be booked and busy, and it makes them mad to watch him be successful. Everyone can be successful. Being bitter won’t make you successful; being better will. If you want to be or beat Toxic Lyrikali, make better music. Being bitter and dropping diss tracks won’t get you to where he is. Consistency and hard work will.