Toxic Lyrikali is a 20-year-old Kenyan rapper and storyteller who has rapidly risen to fame for his authentic, raw hip-hop style that narrates his lived experiences as a youth in Nairobi’s Eastlands area, specifically in Kayole.
He is of Luo ethnicity and goes by the name Timothy Omondi, who has built a name for himself through hard work, raw talent, and unwavering dedication in his music.
Toxic Lyrikali is now the 4th-most-watched Kenyan artist on YouTube in 2025 and has been recognized by Spotify as Kenya’s top-discovered artist for 2025, after 2 of his hits, Chinje and Backbencher, were listed as the most-streamed songs of the year on the platform.
He has yet to collaborate with other musicians, citing enthusiasm and a preference for solo hits. He gained widespread attention in 2024 with viral hits like ‘Magnificent’ and ‘Chinje,’ which amassed millions of views on social platforms.
Toxic has also founded a creative collective dubbed “mboka doba” in Sheng, which translates to “money from music,” aiming to nurture local talents like dancers, photographers, and young musicians, allowing them to make a living on the city’s busy streets.
Educational Background
Details about his specific schools are limited, but in different interviews, he has provided some information about attending school.
He grew up in Kayole, Nairobi, and attended high school there, with the school’s name kept private.
During his high school years, he was known for his blunt personality, which earned him the nickname “Toxic”, which he uses as a stage name.
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He was a talented high school football player and initially aspired to become a professional footballer before shifting his focus entirely to music around 2022.
He shared in an interview that he faced financial challenges during his high school years, a common experience in Kayole, a poverty-prone area where most people live hand to mouth.
Family and early life
Toxic Lyrikali’s personal life, including specific school names and family details, has remained private as he focuses on his music and the “Mboka Doba” movement he formed to help young and upcoming artists and shape new talent.
Toxic Lyrikali’s music career
His passion and zeal for music stem from his high school days, when he was a football player and hoped to pursue football as a career, but music throbbed more, and, in a turn of events, he pursued that.
In the music industry, Toxic Lyrikali has built a name for himself without major endorsements, famous collaborations, or mentorships.
He has shown raw talent and musical authenticity by choosing a genre that resonates more with his target audience, drawing on his life experiences and themes of poverty, crime, and the typical lifestyle in a ghetto environment.
He also shoots most of his music videos in the neighborhood, with his dance crew mostly made up of childhood friends or picked from the Kayole area.
Career achievements
Toxic Lyrikali released his first song, ‘Long Story’, in 2022, but his career accelerated and achieved massive success starting late 2024 and throughout 2025.
In November 2024, Toxic Lyrikali released a song titled “Chinje,” which translates to ‘slaughter,’ and it became a viral anthem across the country, securing at least a million views on streaming platforms like YouTube and TikTok, and emerging as the most-watched Kenyan artist on YouTube in September and October 2025.
In August 2025, Apple Music selected him as its “Up Next Artist for East Africa,” which is a prestigious global spotlight program that features rising stars.
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He was crowned the top discovered artist in Kenya on Spotify in 2025, indicating a massive surge in new listeners seeking out his music.
Toxic Lyrikali won the ‘Best Rapper in Kenya’ title at the 254 Radio Awards 2025.
He was also named the Best Male Artist and Song of the Year at the Unkut Hip Hop Awards 2025.
He secured the 4th spot on the list of the most-streamed Kenyan artists-2025 in the country, with two of his tracks, ‘Chinje’ and ‘Backbencher’, landing within the top 10 most-streamed Kenyan songs of 2025.
Established Kenyan rapper Khaligraph Jones has lauded his work, naming him an artist to watch.
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