Kenyan artiste Zum C has broken his silence on why he parted ways with his management, accusing them of stifling his creativity and mishandling finances.
In a fiery statement, Zum C revealed that his management team constantly pushed him to abandon his unique style for what they considered more “marketable” sounds.
“I was forced to record songs that didn’t represent me. Every time I tried to explore my sound, they said it wouldn’t sell. How can you manage me but silence my voice?” he lamented.
He says he started growing suspicious when the Nigerian-based manager refused to share copies of contracts and split sheets.
“At first was over the moon when the Nigerian label approached me and promised me many things, including an agreed number of collabos with West African acts. The first month, they were all over me and sent contracts, which I asked for time to review. However, when I objected to a few things like the revenue sharing formula and owning my masters, that is when they started acting fishy,’ he says.
The artiste, who recently released his new song titled Labda, also claimed he was kept in the dark regarding gig payments, endorsement deals, and royalties.
“Imagine performing a whole weekend, only to be told the money hasn’t cleared—yet you see the client posting online. That’s exploitation,” he said.
Industry watchers say Zum C’s situation is not unique. Over the years, several Kenyan artistes, including Otile Brown, Bahati, and Mejja, have had public fallouts with their managers over contracts, finances, and creative direction.
“The relationship between an artiste and their manager is like a marriage. Once transparency is gone—especially with money involved—the bond is hard to repair.”
Zum C has since announced that he will continue his journey independently, promising his fans more authentic music that reflects his identity.
“I’m free now, and my fans will finally get the real Zum C,” he declared.
The artiste is reportedly already back in the studio, with new projects expected to be released later this year.