Rap beef gone too far: How Toxic Lyrikali vs Buruklyn Boyz feud spiraled into violence, police drama
By Ascah Mwango, February 20, 2026The gritty beats of Nairobi’s Drill scene have been drowned out by the sound of sirens and shattering glass this week, as a high-stakes musical rivalry between solo star Toxic Lyrikali and the Buruklyn Boyz (Ajay and Mr. Right) spilt dangerously out of the studio and onto the streets of Eastlands.
What started as a digital debate over who owns the city’s burgeoning Dancehall-Drill crossover sound has metastasised into a territorial feud, forcing police intervention in Donholm and leaving fans divided over whether the beef has finally gone too far.
The copycat spark
The genesis of the conflict dates back to early February 2026, when Toxic Lyrikali – the self-styled ‘King of Kayole’ – took to a raw and emotional Instagram Live session to air his grievances.
He accused the Buruklyn Boyz of mimicking his signature style to capitalise on his hard-won success.
“Sasa hawa majamaa wameanza ku-mimic kila kitu nafanya (Now these guys have started mimicking everything I do),” Toxic told his thousands of viewers.
“They are just jumping on the dancehall trend because they’ve seen how I’ve built that ground. Wanakosa originality.”
The rebuttal was swift.
Mr. Right, one half of the Buruklyn Boyz duo, dismissed the claims as the rants of a man afraid of artistic maturity.
He fired back: “I am a versatile artist. My creative freedom cannot be confined to one sound.”
Lyrical warfare: Stima vs dumpsite
As the insults moved from Instagram to the microphone, the tone turned dark.
On February 15, 2026, the Buruklyn Boyz dropped ‘Stima’, a track dripping with bravado that many interpreted as a direct warning to Toxic.
Toxic Lyrikali’s response, ‘Dumpsite’, released just 24 hours later, aimed for the jugular.
He targeted the duo’s upscale Buru Buru upbringing, branding them ‘soft’ and questioning their right to represent the trenches of Eastlands.
“Buru Buru isn’t real Eastlands. You guys are playing at being ‘genje’ but you don’t know the real trenches,” Toxic rapped.
Chaos in Donholm
The rhetoric proved to be a tinderbox. On Monday, February 16, 2026, the verbal war became physical.
Reports emerged of a chaotic street confrontation in Donholm involving supporters linked to both camps.
The incident resulted in property damage and minor injuries, with Nairobi police called in to disperse the crowds and record statements from persons of interest.
While no immediate arrests were made, the event sent shockwaves through the community.
Terrified that the violence could lead to a government crackdown on ‘Gengetone’ and ‘Drill’ events, Toxic Lyrikali issued a formal statement pleading for a return to lyrical, not physical battles.
“Whatever happened in the streets is not something I ordered. I stand on music—let the music talk, let the numbers talk, let the people decide. End violence,” he insisted.
Despite the call for peace, the Buruklyn Boyz released another track, ‘Genje Sana’, which Toxic has already dismissed as ‘stale’.
For now, the ground remains volatile, spectators wait with bated breath to see if the next drop will be another hit song or another headline-grabbing scuffle.