The Copyright Tribunal in Nairobi has issued interim orders restraining international record label Black Market Records from commercialising or exploiting the musical works of Kenyan musician Harry Otieno Adoyo, popularly known as Harry Craze.
The ex-parte orders, delivered by Tribunal Chairperson Elizabeth Lenjo, bar Black Market Records LLC, Studio Black Market Records Ltd, and their director Cedric Singleton from asserting ownership or publishing the artist’s catalogue pending a full inter-partes hearing.
The tribunal also prohibited the respondents from meddling or interfering with Harry Craze's live performances, concerts, and promotional campaigns.
The musician moved to court under a certificate of urgency accusing the record label of withholding royalties, falsely claiming ownership of his independent music, and disrupting his career through malicious copyright takedowns.
Musical artist Harry Craze performs during the unveiling of Chrome’s bold new pack design under the Street Filosofia campaign at KICC in Nairobi on March 30, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation
Harry Craze is seeking compensation for alleged unpaid earnings and damages, estimating the cumulative impact of unaccounted digital revenue across major platforms at Sh5,794,300.
In court documents, the artiste says the dispute stems from a 2019 agreement that allowed the label to distribute and monetise music produced under the rap group "Rico Gang".
The group, famous for hits like Pikipiki Maua, Lingala na Sheng, and the Bariki Mzinga track, formally disbanded in December 2023 due to sustained financial hardships.
Harry Craze reveals that on April 29, 2024, he entered into a short-term contract with the label's local outfit intended for solo tracks, in exchange for a monthly stipend of just sh10,000.
Despite delivering the music, including the released track Guga Guda , the artiste claims the label began wrongfully claiming exclusive ownership of his independent solo projects, including Matopare, Luku Ni Pyam, and Diglo .
According to the filings, Luku Ni Pyam was expressly commissioned by an unrelated corporate entity. Its subsequent removal from streaming platforms following copyright strikes by the label directly exposed the musician to third-party legal disputes, causing severe professional embarrassment and income loss.
Rap group Rico Gang, comprises of Harry Adoyo aka Harry Craze, Wilson Raburu aka Triand Rands and Grace Muthui aka Gee Gee.
Photo credit: Pool
The artiste alleges that the respondents systematically monetised his music without remitting earnings, citing unverified metrics on YouTube (16.5 million views), Boomplay (5.6 million streams), and Spotify (960,000 streams).
He noted that the ongoing copyright strikes caused his monthly Spotify audience to plunge from 13,000 to 9,000 listeners, endangering his livelihood.
Through his lawyer, Dr Adrian Kamotho, the musician is challenging the legality of the original contracts. He argues that the US-based entity lacked the capacity to enter into agreements, having been suspended from business by the Secretary of State of California as early as March 2013.
The filings further accuse the respondents of operating "multiple related briefcase companies" using name variants to perpetuate a pattern of illegal exploitation.
To back the case, the suit points to a regional legal precedent. Court documents cite a landmark April 1, 2025 judgment by the High Court of Uganda (Kiggundu aka Bruno K v Black Market Records Entertainment), which ruled against the record label over similar disputes involving void agreements and the plunder of artistic revenue.
The tribunal has certified the application urgent and directed the respondents to file and serve their responses by May 28, 2026, ahead of virtual directions scheduled for June 4, 2026.
