Kenyan singer-songwriter Victoria Kimani continues to make revelations about her early experiences in the international music industry, alleging that her recorded vocals were used without credit in a high-profile collaboration involving Russian artist Timati and American producer Timbaland.
The claims are detailed in her YouTube docu-series My Music Industry Heartbreak, where she narrates what she describes as her “second major music industry heartbreak” during her time working in the United States.
According to Kimani, the situation began after she connected with producers affiliated with the Convict Music camp, a label associated with Akon.
She says she was asked to contribute to a track titled All About the Money, which was being prepared for Timati.
Kimani recounts being approached with a clear proposition: write and record a verse for the track, with the understanding that she would be featured on the final release alongside Timbaland.
“This producer was like, ‘Hey, write him a verse, you record a verse, and we’re gonna put Timbaland on the song, and you’re gonna be featuring on the song,’” she says in the episode.
She proceeded to record her vocals, expecting to be credited as a featured artist once the song was released.
Kimani claims that shortly after recording, she learned that a music video for the song had already been shot without her knowledge or participation.
“Less than two weeks after that, I’m hearing that there was a music video shot, and I was not invited,” she states.
Approximately a month later, the music video was released. According to Kimani, the final version of the project did not include her as a credited artist. Instead, the track was released as a collaboration between Timati and Timbaland, featuring another woman in the video.
“This girl was in the music video lip-syncing to my vocals,” Kimani says. “I saw this white lady lip-syncing my vocals… that was like the blow of the century.”
She alleges that while her voice remained in the song, her identity as the vocalist was not acknowledged, and she did not receive payment or official credit for her contribution.
Kimani describes the incident as a turning point in her understanding of how the music industry can operate behind the scenes.
“That was the first time I realized, like, this is how it happens,” she explains. “You work endlessly, you work hard, and then they take your work and they give it to somebody else.”
She further expresses shock at the extent of what she claims occurred, emphasizing the distinction between uncredited songwriting and the alleged use of her actual recorded voice.
“So someone can take my voice… and then lip-sync my vocals and not give me credit and not pay me… you don’t invite me to the shoot, nothing,” she says.
This account follows her earlier claim in the same docu-series that she contributed to Just Dance but did not receive recognition.