Veteran rapper Daudi Mustafa, alias Colonel Mustafa, has stirred nostalgia after claiming he once had a serious disagreement with the late musician E-Sir over media personality Talia Oyando.
The 45-year-old alleged that both men were attracted to her during their early days in the music industry.
Writing on his Instagram page, Mustafa said the rivalry was intense at the time, suggesting their friendship and working relationship were strained by romantic tension.
“Me and Talia had a serious vibe, honestly we were supposed to be more than friends. Honestly, the streets and industry are messy,” Mustafa said. “I’m not going to lie, the whole situation with Talia almost blew up into something massive between me and him. We almost let a ‘situationship’ tear away our brotherhood and label,” he added.
However, Talia Oyando quickly dismissed the claims in a now-deleted comment, calling them baseless and insisting there was never any romantic involvement between her and Mustafa.
“Boss, there was nothing ever brewing anywhere. I never ever looked at you in any other way apart from a colleague. This picture was taken at a KORA awards event,” she responded.
She further maintained that E-Sir never had any conflict with Mustafa over her, describing the claims as fabricated.
“E-Sir never had any beef with you. Aaaiiiiii, eh boss badilisha pedi please. Never ever,” she added.
Despite her denial, Colonel Mustafa has stood by his account, reiterating that friction with E-Sir did occur, but insisting the dispute was later resolved privately.
He said the two later reconciled and maintained a cordial relationship as friends and label mates.
Talia is yet to make any formal statement on the claims.
The exchange has reignited public interest, particularly among millennials who grew up during the Ogopa Deejays era and fondly recall the music of artists such as the late Issa Mmari, popularly known as E-Sir.
E-Sir died in a road accident while returning to Nairobi, alongside Nameless, after a performance in Nakuru.
Ogopa Deejays, founded in Nairobi in the late 1990s by brothers Francis and Lucas Bikedo, played a key role in shaping East Africa’s music industry.
Known for its “screaming red face” logo, the label pioneered the Kapuka (Boomba) sound, helping turn young artists into household names and defining Kenya’s 2000s music era.
Artists who rose under the label include E-Sir, Nameless, Big Pin, the late K-Rupt, the late Wicky Mosh, Kunguru, Deux Vultures (Colonel Mustafa and Nasty Thomas), Deux Vultures-related acts such as French Boy and Swaleh, Avril, Wahu, Tatuu, Mr Lenny, Talia Oyando, XYZ, Redsan, as well as Uganda’s Bebe Cool and Chameleone.