Nomadic, polymorphic and transversal, the genesis of the +250 is akin to the development of a perennial rhizome. A rhizome so dear to Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari who, nearly fifty years ago in Mille Plateaux, laid out one of its most important characteristics: “to be always multiple-entry”. It started in 2019 when PAM published the first international article on the kinyatrap movement in Kigali to some acclaim. Later, in 2022, PAM commissioned a series of portraits by photographer Michiel Robberecht who had been documenting the emergence of the rap movement in the Rwandan capital for some time. These moving images led Michiel to direct the documentary B-Threy, cars and dreams in Kigali. A photo exhibition, documentary screening, and live show… This first multimedia ensemble was presented at Chaillot Théâtre national de la Danse in May 2024 as part of Chaillot Expérience #8, organized under the leadership of Rwandan artist Dorothée Munyaneza. For the occasion we also invited Bushali, B-Threy and Dr Nganji, three of the leading figures in Rwandan rap, to share the stage for their first concert in France. This first step combining the multimedia elements inducing photos, videos, and performance, was a beta version of the creative expression that +250 would come to stand for. A hub for expression, support, and documentation which broadens access to information, resources, and new skills.
A multimedia hub to celebrate Rwanda’s vibrant cultural scene
Since, the artistic collective has spread far and wide. Driven by the collaborative vision of the PAM team and Rwandan agency Cornwine, the project has stabilized under the banner +250 (Rwanda’s telephone code). It’s a banner that continues to gather new creatives, ambitions, and skills. The aim? To celebrate and develop Rwanda’s rich cultural scene with new spaces and forms of expression. In music, we’ve brought together eight male and female rappers who are currently in the studio with eight beatmakers in Kigali. Lyricists Ish Kevin, Angell Mutoni, B-Threy, Bushali and Slum Drip, together with producers Pro Zed and Dr Nganji and the S.T.O.R.M. live band, are preparing the release of an original collaborative album. +250 will be premiering their music at the ACCES – Music In Africa festival from November 14-16, 2024, at the Kigali Convention Center in Rwanda. The collective is also expected to appear on the European festival circuit in 2025, taking the stage at the Hip-Hop Society in Marseille, France, in April 2025.
Documentaries, ready-to-wear fashion, and artbooks… +250 hybrids
Remember the words of Deleuze and Guattari: “the rhizome itself has very diverse forms”. Thus, +250 will spread its roots in a number of ways: through a documentary, already in the works, to be directed by Chico Berry and Eazy Cuts, founder of the Rwandan agency Big Team Productions, and who have been documenting the emergence of the rap scene in Kigali from its very beginnings. Fashion is also expected to be a part of the program from 2025, with ready-to-wear brand Native 1018 in charge of the crew’s artistic textile direction. This hand-crafted design will be showcased on international stages through the group’s merchandising. The power of this new Rwandan cultural scene will also be expressed through a publishing project via an artbook dedicated to the +250 experience.
A first studio outing with Octopizzo and Bantu Spaceship
In anticipation of the many, many hybridizations of the +250 project, we invite you to participate in a round table discussion about Kigali’s urban youth culture organized by PAM and Cornwine, and at the Kigali Convention Center and to the Mundi Center for the group’s first residency release during the ACCES showcase on November 15th at 10PM. The all-star band will share the stage with Impakanizi, Ruti Joel and the lively Rwandan songwriter Kaya Byinshi. Other international headliners to watch out for include the set by South African amapiano duo Heavy-K & Sir Trill, a New Jit Wave concertfrom Bantu Spaceship, custodians of Zimbabwe’s emblematic urban synth-wave, and Octopizzo, a trap sensation from Nairobi.
ACCES – Music In Africa, Kigali, Rwanda from November 14 to 16, 2024.