Steven Otieno was living a quiet life in Kibera, Nairobi, until he rose to fame with his hit song, Vijana Tuache Mihadarati. The fame brought with it its share of troubles as Steven, known in music circles as Stivo Simple Boy, faced a form of social stigma when people started comparing his face with that of a monkey.
The song was released in 2018 and started trending after he appeared on a TV show – which opened him to public scrutiny. “People used to say I look like a monkey. You know, it is painful but there was nothing I could do but just persevere. I believe in myself,” he noted.
In a video he released later, the musician admitted that it was indeed painful to hear people making jokes about his face. He, however, said that he had developed a thick skin.
Speaking prophetically, he said no one knows what the future holds and that the person who you despise could be the one who saves you tomorrow. “We were all made by God. Everyone in this world is good in his own right. You never know, the monkey may be the one to help you in future,” he remarked.
Simple Boy was unfazed and vowed to use his passion in music to keep campaigning against drúg abusé and crimē that have afflicted many young people in Kibera and other slums due to unemployment and poverty.
And now, beyond his wildest dreams, Simple boy is smiling all the way to the bank after landing a lucrative advertising deal with leading gaming company, Odibets. When the advert advert hit social media, netizens went gaga and once again Simple Boy was trending, this time for something that would make him smile
The advert was done by Odibets to relaunch its Cash Out feature sent social media into a frenzy with some praising Stivo Simple Boy for bouncing back despite the trolls he received when he joined the entertainment industry.
