Stivo Simple Boy’s wife Grace Atieno has come out to accuse his management of condemning them to unending poverty.
Speaking during an interview with vloggers, Grace said that Stivo’s management Men In Business (MIB) was really stressing him.
The rapper’s wife claimed that MIB was controlling Stivo’s money as they hold onto his accounts.
“Manager wake anampatia stress, yeye anajikondea tu, wakati tulikuwa nae alikuwa ameungaunga tu sasa hivi ni stress ya manager wake, pesa zake na hio account zake. Si yeye ndio anatumia, si yeye ndo anazimanage yani kila kitu manager wake ndio anamanage,” Grace said.
Grace added that Stivo was flat broke.
“Sahi ata ukienda kwa simu yake kuangalia balance huwezi hata kuta shilingi kumi peke yake. Yani ata nkimwambia nitumie hata shilingi hamsini anakuambia hana na ukimuuliza pesa zako ziko wapi anasema manager wangu ndio ako nazo,” she added.
“Kwenye nyumba munakula kweli? Kuna vyakula kweli? (Are you guys even eating? Is there food?)” the interviewer asked Grace.
Stivo’s wife admitted that even eating in their house was a big challenge, revealing that they often sleep on an empty stomach.
“Saa zingine zipo chakula lakini kuna time twakosa saa zingine twapata. Lakini mahali ako sioni kama atasaidika,” she said.
Grace lamented that Stivo is too gentle and very timid and as such he couldn’t fight for his rights.
“Kuna changamoto ambazo ziko kwa hio nyumba ndo maana kwa sahizi naweza nkasema kitu ya kwanza anapitia mambo magumu na hawezi akasema. Shida yake yeye ni muoga na kijana mpole sana hawezi ongea. Kwangu mimi siwezi nikaona ati bwanangu anahangaika halafu ye ni muoga wa kuongea so lazima niseme tu venye ako,” she said.
Stivo’s wife added that she had no idea if her husband was even earning from his YouTube channel.
“Sijui kama analipwa ata yeye mwenyewe ukimuuliza venye YouTube inalipa hajui yani shilingi ngapi inalipa. Mambo na pesa yeye jamani kejana mwenyewe mpole hata hajui, yeye bora amepata chakula sawa.“
Grace further disclosed that Stivo used to tell her that he was suffering before she moved in with him but she never took him seriously until she found out herself after they started living together.
“Wakati nikiwa kwetu Taita alikua ananiambia anaumia hana pesa kwa nyumba so mi nilikua nafikiria ni mchezo maybe hizo mambo na kiki so kuja huku kuishi naye dah ndo nkayakuta hayo mengi tu,” Grace said.
MIB responds
Stivo Simple’s Boy’s management dismissed Grace’s claims when reached for comment.
MIB CEO Vaga Genius said the label had everything sorted for Stivo, adding that the rapper would never suffer.
“Binadamu kila mtu ako na comments zake sababu ata wewe ukianza kazi yako leo kuna watu ambao watasuportm kuna watu ambao wataseme hufanyi hii hufanyi hii. Katika lebo ni vitu normal sana na ila ki kweli ata ukifwatilia sana yani kampuni imetumia hela mingi sana that’s why hutawai skia ohh Stivo amefungiwa nyumba, Stivo sijui hana nini. Ata bila mashow bado vitu zake zinafanyika. There are people taking care of that. Hizi claims mimi nazichukulia tu poa sababu kila mtu ana ile right ya kuongea. Saa zingine anawezajisemea mwenyewe,” Vaga said.
Previous management
Stivo Simple Boy had similar issues with his former management Made In Kibera (MIK).
The rapper’s ex-girlfriend Purity Vishenwa alias Pritty Vishy complained numerous times that Stivo’s old management MIK gave him a raw deal.
Stivo quit MIK in April 2022 and joined MIB where his wife Grace is now saying that he is going through the same ordeal that Pritty Vishy used to complain about with his former management.
Challenges
Stivo has gone through a lot of challenges in his music career. In December 2022, the rapper was forced to share a bed with two women in Mombasa after event organisers failed to pay him.
Eric Omondi, who was among the event organizers, went on a ranting spree on social media accusing MIB management of letting Stivo down after he failed to perform.
“Stivo Simple Boy Management must resign immediately or I’ll have them arrested. How do you bring an artist all the way from Nairobi na hata ajalipwa hata shillingi moja, kwani kazi yako kama manager ni nini. Alafu you only inform me of this at the backstage last minute. Alafu mnakula 84,000 worth of food and drinks na Stivo ajalipwa na mnampandisha basi. Alafu why does Stivo have 4 managers?” Eric Omondi wrote in part.
