Dancehall singer Roden Y Kabako has lifted the lid on a long-simmering grievance, revealing that despite years of releasing music, he has never earned a single shilling from his songs on digital platforms.
Speaking out amid the ongoing legal battle between Sheebah Karungi and her former management under Team No Sleep (TNS), Kabako painted a stark picture of how artists can lose control and income from their own work.
According to Kabako, all the music he recorded during his time at TNS was registered under manager Jeff Kiwa, effectively shutting him out of any digital revenue streams.
“For all the time you’ve seen me in music, I’ve never eaten off my songs,” he said. “The only money I’ve ever made is from the stage.”
While fans stream, share, and celebrate his songs online, the artist himself says he has never even received a YouTube earnings notification.
Ironically, part of that outcome traces back to a strategic decision he made early in his career, uploading his music onto Sheebah Karungi’s YouTube channel to tap into her already massive audience. It worked for visibility but, as he now claims, came at a cost when relationships with the label soured.
When Kabako and Sheebah eventually parted ways with TNS, he alleges that Kiwa tightened his grip on the catalog, copyrighting the songs and retaining exclusive control over their monetization.
Rather than pursue a prolonged legal fight, Kabako says he chose to walk away.
“I left it at that,” he admitted, suggesting a mix of resignation and acceptance.
Still, while he may have given up on reclaiming his past earnings, Kabako isn’t stepping back entirely. He has thrown his full support behind Sheebah’s ongoing court case, framing it not just as her fight but as theirs.
“If Sheebah is in court, I’m in court too,” he said. “She is my friend.”
Despite the setbacks, Kabako remains grounded in the one income stream that has never failed him. In a music economy where digital numbers dominate headlines, his career has been sustained the old-fashioned way, through live performances.
“They don’t deal with YouTube or UPRS; they deal with me,” he said, crediting fans for consistently booking him and keeping him relevant on stage.
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