TAKEAWAYS

• D Star alleges he received no payment from the hit song Hoozambe.
• He claims Mudra D Viral earned heavily from the remix and performances.
• The controversy has ignited debate on fairness in Uganda’s music industry.

Musician D Star, popularly known for his viral hit Hoozambe, has publicly expressed frustration with fellow artist Mudra D’Viral over alleged unpaid earnings from the song.

In a video circulating online, D Star opened up about his current hardships, revealing that he is on the verge of eviction due to unpaid rent despite the massive success of Hoozambe. The track, which first gained traction on TikTok about two years ago, quickly became a street anthem across Uganda and the wider East African region.

According to D Star, the song’s popularity played a major role in building both his identity and brand, with many fans even referring to him as “Hoozambe.” The momentum later grew stronger when Mudra released a remix, further amplifying the song’s reach and commercial success.

“I have a lot of pain because this song changed my life, but I’ve not benefited from it financially,” D Star said in the video.

“Mudra made money from Hoozambe. He has earned over 140m shillings from it. I even performed at his Lugogo concert and wasn’t paid anything,” he added.

D Star also claimed that the remix and its online performance—reportedly generating millions of views—translated into significant earnings, yet he allegedly did not receive any share. He further expressed disappointment that even his close associates and family members had to purchase tickets to attend Mudra’s concert, despite his contribution to one of its headline songs.

The singer described the situation as unfair, emphasizing that experience or seniority in the music industry should not justify exploitation.

Mudra, who has been credited with elevating the remix’s reach, is yet to publicly respond to the allegations.