Simon Kabu’s Untold Story: How Raising Young Maurine Kabu Thwarted His Rap Career

Simon Kabu is a household name in Kenya’s travel and business sectors. However, a recent social media post has revealed a surprising chapter from his past.

Before he was a titan of industry, Kabu harboured a different ambition. He wanted to conquer the music scene as a "deadly rapper."

Kabu shared a nostalgic throwback on his Facebook page. The post featured photos of him from an era long before the corporate suits and luxury vehicles. In these vintage images, Kabu operated under the stage name "Tumad-Kaburr."

The "Tumad-Kaburr" Aesthetic

The photos show Kabu embracing a classic hip-hop look. He is seen wearing a crisp white durag. He layered an oversized black corduroy jacket over a graphic white t-shirt.

His stance in the photos was that of a confident artist. He often used a finger-pointing gesture, looking ready to take the microphone. At the time, his ambition was to make a significant mark on the Kenyan music scene.

"During this era... they used to call me 'Tumad-Kaburr'... I was a deadly rapper,” he revealed.

A Dream Interrupted by Fatherhood

Every aspiring music career requires long hours in the recording booth. For Kabu, these late-night studio sessions hit a major, yet adorable, hurdle. That hurdle was his young daughter, Maurine Kabu.

Maurine was a toddler at the time. She was incredibly attached to her father.

READ TOO: Simon Kabu and Daughter Maurine Win Big at 2025 Travel and Business Awards

According to Kabu, she refused to let him go to the studio by himself. Her constant need for his presence made it impossible for him to maintain a professional recording schedule.

"My then young daughter Maurine Kabu that time could not allow me to go studioAlone."

The Road Not Taken

Kabu now looks back at those days with a sense of humour. In his social media post, he asked his followers a hypothetical question. He wondered who he would be competing with in the rap game today if he had stayed in the industry.

“If I was still in the game… who would I be competing with right now?”

While the "Tumad-Kaburr" era ended prematurely, it did not stop his professional growth. He eventually transitioned from music into the world of business.

He is now widely recognised as a leading figure in the travel sector, trading rap battles for high-level boardroom negotiations.

Kabu’s "deadly" drive clearly remained intact during his career shift. Today, he is most famous as the CEO of Bonfire Adventures, a major player in the regional travel industry.