This archive report was first published on 4 May 2021.
Published on May 4, 2021, rapper Collo's life story is a cautionary tale of fame, fortune, and the dangers of debt.
At the height of his music career, Collo was earning a staggering Sh. 950,000 per month, thanks to his lucrative copywriting job in Nairobi and his side hustle as a jingle writer.
"I was a copywriter getting Sh. 250,000 every month. And then, I also believed that it didn’t hurt to present a jingle idea to any of the client services within whatever account at any agency, so I was a supplier. In a month I would write at least ten jingles for different brands and it would give me lets say, Sh. 700,000 extra," he said in an interview.
However, despite his impressive earnings, Collo felt lost and struggled with alcoholism. His life took a turn for the worse when he was fired from his job after a heated argument with a superior.
"There were people who were giving the client a raw deal at that time. I said something I shouldn’t have said, or rather I said it innocently and it offended one of the bosses," he recalled.
With a bank loan of Sh. 3.5 million and no income, Collo found himself struggling to make ends meet. Auctioneers eventually seized his assets, including a car and title deeds to plots he had purchased.
But Collo's life changed when he got saved. "I was a really disturbed person. And it was ugly, but I thank God because we are here to tell that story. I had a phone-book with over 5,000 contacts that I thought I knew. I thought I knew a real estate mogul, I thought I knew so and so. My friend, know Jesus," he said.
