This archive report was first published on 14 November 2019.
November 14, 2019, marked a significant day in the Kenyan music scene when Timmy Tdat's explicit music video 'Vitamin U' featuring Rosa Ree was pulled down from YouTube. The video, which left little to the imagination, had sparked controversy among fans and authorities alike.
According to Ezekiel Mutua, the then-Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) CEO, the video was deemed too explicit for public consumption. Mutua wrote to Google, requesting that the video be removed from the platform.
However, in a recent interview with Mseto East Africa, Timmy Tdat revealed that he pulled down the video not due to the backlash from authorities, but rather to protect Rosa Ree from the Tanzanian government's wrath.
Timmy Tdat explained that Rosa Ree was facing multiple court cases in Tanzania, including one related to the board of films and another with the Tanzanian government's BASATA. The artist felt that the video was being used as a tool to harass Rosa Ree, and therefore decided to remove it to prevent further trouble.
Timmy Tdat's decision to pull down the video has sparked a debate about creative freedom and censorship in the music industry. While some argue that artists should be free to express themselves without fear of reprisal, others believe that there are limits to what is acceptable in public consumption.
