Alex Apoko, popularly known as Ringtone, is a Kenyan gospel artist and businessman. The musician is nothing short of a comedian when it comes to seeking national attention through his adverse and sometimes less believable sentiments.
However, Ringtone is known for some of the biggest hits in the country’s and he has made a living out of it.
The musician leads a lavish life and is never afraid of bragging of how he leads his life to the public. He has appeared on numerous interviews in which he has told the public of the properties and cars he owns.
The professions have led to a section of netizens referring to him as arguably the country’s biggest clout-chaser.
Ringtone is wealthy, however, the source of his wealth has always aroused inquiry.
Background & Education
Ringtone was born in 1994 in Kisii County. According to the musician, his mother dumped him at the door step of a bar his father used to frequent along Tom Mboya Street, Nairobi.
His father did not visit the bar that particular day. However, his uncle recognised him and took him to his paternal grandmother who took care of him as they lived off illicit brew.
She passed away two years later, and Ringtone was forced onto the streets where he lived as he clawed for survival.
Existing information indicates that the “Pamela” hit maker attended Mombasa High School for his secondary education.
Career
Ringtone began singing at an early age and his talents saw him seize the country’s gospel industry.
Over the years, he has produced numerous songs, featuring some of the biggest names in the gospel arena. These include; Daddy Owen “Papa Fololo”, Gloria Muliro, Tanzania’s Rose Muhando among others.
Ringtone is known for various hit songs including: Pamela, Tenda wema, Rudi Nyumbani, Jubilation, Walionicheka, Ni Yesu tu, Nakupenda bwana wangu, Wacha iwe ft.Gloria Muliro, This Year ft. Ada, Zoea mawe and Wanadamu.
The song “Zoea Mawe” was released on June 23, 2020, featuring Kenya’s leading Tik Tok sensation Azziad Nasenya. The song was inspirational to listeners, urging them not to lose hope in their endevours as God is in control.
Controversies
If there was an Olympics star for controversies, Ringtone is Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt. For a guy in the gospel music industry, Ringtone does not shy away from controversies at all.
He has long been in search of a wife, and in May 2018, he was at the center of national headlines when he bought Ugandan socialite Zari Hassan a brand new Range Rover.
The South Africa based socialite had just broken up with Tanzanian Bongo Flava artist Diamond Platinumz, and Ringtone did not waste in professing his love for her. He claimed that God had showed him she is the one.
The two had never met before, and at the time Zari was visiting Kenya, and had an interview on Kiss 100 FM. Ringtone bought the car and rushed to deliver it to her at the station, but she had already left.
For a guy wanting to impress someone he had never met, he certainly fell short, as she has her own money and cars.
On another incident, Ringtone shared a letter from an association of residents of the leafy Karen estate who were complaining that the musician was rearing cows in his compound.
Rearing one or two cows within a compound in Karen is practical and totally understandable, but the letter shared by the artist indicated that he had over 40 cows within his vicinity.
What made Kenyans doubt the authenticity of the letter is when it purported that they loved his music and are happy to have him within their community. It was later established that the letter was fake. There is no Karen Residents Association. Instead, there is a Karen Lang’ata District Association.
Ringtone has been involved in numerous incidents that have led to Kenyans questioning his sanity. Some of the instances include: When he claimed to be richer than Diamond, claiming that God had told him to marry Tanzanian musician Ray C, castigating Willy Paul for defecting to secular music and criticising Stevo Simple Boy.
Wealth
Rington is a wealthy man, however, the source of his wealth has always been a bone of contention.
He has often been asked where he gets his millions, a question he has always ducked using the response, “music pays”.
In a 2018 interview with Citizen Extra, Ringtone alleged that he is worth Ksh800 million. He cited government tenders, music and businesses in hospitality as his source of wealth.
He had also alleged that he made Ksh45 million during the 2013 general election campaigns after President Uhuru Kenyatta used his song.
Ringtone. YOU are LYING about being paid ksh500k. You are a money bag claiming that music pays but your music is trash. No one really listens to your music. You never actually even came close to Willy Paul or Bahati yet they are not as rich as you. Are you moving drugs? pic.twitter.com/M6otQUnm8i
— Lord Abraham Mutai (@ItsMutai) June 3, 2019
Houses
Ringtone claims to own houses in the posh estates of Runda and Karen
Brawl with Alai
On July 23, 2021, blogger Robert Alai was arrested and detained at the Kilimani Police Station for allegedly beating Ringtone with a wooden club.
A scuffle ensued between the two after they accused each other of obstruction along Loitoktok Road and continued to Dennis Pritt and Likoni Roads.
According to numerous videos shared online, Alai’s car can be seen blocking Ringtone’s vehicle. In another video, the musician can be seen with blood on the side of the head and scratches on the neck.
