This archive report was first published on 14 August 2019.
Published on August 14, 2019, the royalties distribution row between Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) and Kenyan artistes has escalated.
Flamboyant rapper King Kaka joined the fray, questioning MCSK's decision to distribute Sh2,530 to each member via M-Pesa as their two months' earnings.
Controversial rapper Khaligraph Jones had earlier threatened to storm MCSK offices and warned the body to never collect royalties on his behalf, stating he had granted authorization for his music to be pirated.
King Kaka expressed his dissatisfaction with the amounts distributed, saying MCSK should have collected more than Sh37 million from public performances.
MCSK responded by explaining that the distributed royalties were from public performances for only two months and that they had not received any money from broadcasters who exploit music.
The society also clarified that they made a general distribution to avoid paying 70% of the collected money to international societies, citing that Kenyan music receives little airplay.
The beef between MCSK and Kenyan artistes is not new, with a similar row erupting in 2016 when Elani, a three-member band, revealed they had received royalties worth only Sh31,000 for songs played on radio and TV for a year.
