Born Deus Ndugwa, the now 26-year-old renowned artist recounted how life on the streets pushed him to the brink of lawlessness.
In an interview on the Big Talk with Henrie, the Babandana singer was asked if he was ever tempted into petty theft, which he admitted to.
On one occasion, he recalled feeling very hungry and deciding to try out pick-pocketing, only to regret the consequences immediately.
“The day I tried it out, I was very hungry in the Old Taxi Park,” he recalled.
“ In the evening hours, we used to gather around as street kids to watch movies. That evening while we were watching, I saw my friends snatching belongings of passers-by.
“So, I also scoped out one of the pedestrians to try and steal from him, but as I was reaching into his pocket, he grabbed my hand and gave me the hottest slap… I blacked out!”
Grenade says he walked away and went back down to the food shacks in the taxi park where he used to sleep, and he sat down and started crying.
There, he was found by one of the food vendors who felt sorry for him.
“She gave me food and bought me a Fanta,” he recalled.
At the peak of his struggles, the singer recalls he sought help from TV personality, MC Kats, who only offered him Shs 20,000 to transport him back to the village.
He turned down the officer.
Grenade says he was eventually saved from the street and taken in by singer Big Eye.