Rico Gang's Harry Craze wins initial round against Black Market Records over Sh5.8m copyright row

Title: Court rules in Rico Gang artist's favour in Sh5.8 million dispute with record label

Nairobi musician Harry Craze of the Rico Gang collective has won the first legal round in a copyright dispute against Black Market Records, with a court finding sufficient grounds to proceed with a case centred on alleged contractual exploitation and unpaid royalties totalling approximately 5.8 million shillings.

Harry Craze's legal team argued that the record label engaged in deceptive practices, using multiple name variations to obscure its identity and complicate enforcement of contractual obligations. The artist alleges that royalties owed under a recording agreement were withheld despite the commercial success of tracks released under the label's umbrella.

The case has drawn wider attention within Kenya's music industry, where many artists operate without robust legal representation or clearly defined contracts. Advocacy groups have long warned that independent artists, particularly those from informal settlements where much of the country's street and urban music originates, are vulnerable to exploitative agreements that sign away intellectual property rights for minimal upfront payment.

Kenya's Copyright Board and the Music Copyright Society of Kenya have both signalled interest in the outcome, as it could set a precedent for how courts treat label-artist disputes involving royalty accounting and entity misrepresentation. The Copyright Act of 2001, while broadly protective of creators, has historically been difficult to enforce against labels that structure their operations across multiple entities.

Rico Gang rose to prominence in Nairobi's urban music scene through a gritty street-rap sound that earned a loyal following in estates across the capital. Harry Craze's decision to pursue litigation rather than settle privately has been praised by fellow artists as a signal that musicians are increasingly willing to challenge industry power structures through formal legal channels.