Stivo Simple Boy was born and raised in abject poverty and only had his big break in early 2022 when he moved out of the ghetto.
The rapper, whose real name is Stephen Otieno Adera, opened up about his background while speaking during an interview with Diana Marua.
Stivo revealed that he was a slow learner and struggled in school. He studied in Homa Bay county from nursery to class seven and sat for Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination in Kibera, Nairobi.
“Nlikua ule mtoto special. Kuna wale watu ambaye hawashiki vitu haraka, nlikua mmoja wao. Nlisoma nursery mbaka class 7 nkarudi Nairobi nkafanya darasa la nane,” he said.
Stivo Simple Boy did multiple menial jobs
The Kibera rapper didn’t join high school to pursue secondary education after he sat for KCPE. He started doing menial jobs to survive in Kibera slums.
Stivo revealed that he worked as a construction worker, a security guard and as a waiter in a hotel where he was paid Ksh100 a day.
The rapper struggled to make ends meet doing menial jobs. He started rapping and dropped his breakout song ‘Vijana Tuache Mihadarati’ in December 2017.
Even though he became famous, Stivo remained poor and lived in Kibera as his former management allegedly exploited him.
Stivo’s ex-girlfriend Purity Vishenwa alias Pritty Vishy complained numerous times that the rapper’s old management MIK gave him a raw deal.
Vishy claimed that the artiste was brainwashed by MIK who were taking the bulk of the money he was making from his music career.
The rapper’s girlfriend revealed that the highest amount of money MIK management ever paid Stivo after performing was a meagre Ksh2,000.
She said Stivo was paid about Ksh50,000 per performance but MIK gave him peanuts but he never complained. Pritty Vishy lamented that Stivo did whatever he was instructed by his management.
She said the management moved him to a bedsitter in Kayole so that he could be away from ‘bad’ influence in Kibera, far away from people like Vishy who were trying to enlighten him about being exploited.
Pritty Vishy revealed that the management tried hard to make Stivo break up with her because she was tirelessly fighting for him to be paid more money.
In April 2022, Stivo Simple Boy eventually dumped the old management MIK. He is now being managed by MIB Africa.
The rapper is currently making significant strides in escaping the jaws of poverty after parting ways with the old management.
Stivo struck a deal with Men Vs Boys League clothing brand to be their brand ambassador. He is also getting the largest share of revenues generated from his music.
