In an unexpected twist of irony, popular online critic Sabato, known for his no-holds-barred commentary on Kenya’s music industry and his viral catchphrase “Sauti ya ground mtu asijifanye hajui,” found himself on the receiving end of public scrutiny this week.
A resurfaced video showing Sabato attempting to sing live has taken the internet by storm.
The performance, widely described as off-key and cringeworthy, quickly turned into viral entertainment, with fans, critics, and some of the country’s top artists using the moment to fire back at the outspoken commentator.
Leading the pack was rap heavyweight Khaligraph Jones, who responded with a sarcastic tweet on X.
“Tangazo maalum: Sauti ya ground inasema Goshoree imeondoka pale kwa YouTube but iyo sio point yangu. Ni moto kama pasi, si ya kishebedu. Sauti ya ground imekubali,” Khaligraph said.
Fans were quick to amplify the post with all manner of reactions.
@king.kalala mocked, “Nani hana bass?” while @brayo_m9 said, “The OG should be respected.”
Femi One, a frequent target of Sabato’s harsh critiques, responded with subtle shade, posting a silhouette dance clip on her social media, cheekily implying that Sabato’s vocals were stuck in her head.
While she didn’t name him directly, fans easily picked up on the reference.
The post drew reactions from fellow celebrities, including King Kaka, who jokingly asked, “Who is he?”
TV personality Tony Mwirigi quipped, @tony_mwirigi: “Usanii sio rahisi.” while a shocked MC Frankid asked, “Kumbe Sabato alikuwa msanii?”
Adding fuel to the fire, flamboyant musician KRG the Don took to Instagram with a hilarious video of himself laughing uncontrollably at Sabato’s performance.
In the clip, KRG clutches his head, gasping between fits of laughter, “Huyu ndio anasemanga wasanii hawajui kuimba?”
The video quickly went viral across TikTok and Instagram, reigniting the #SautiYaGround trend and keeping Sabato at the center of online conversations.