{"id":102640,"date":"2022-03-25T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/?p=102640"},"modified":"2023-10-04T14:56:28","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T12:56:28","slug":"kinyatrap-kigali-rap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/kinyatrap-kigali-rap\/","title":{"rendered":"Kinyatrap: the gritty soundtrack of Kigali\u2019s new rap generation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kinyatrap is the quintessential Kigali sound that combines elements of trap, grime, drill, and the occasional Afro-pop rhythm. While mainstream coverage of Rwandan music tends to focus on diasporic acts like Stromae, Lous and the Yakuza, Corneille, and others, kinyatrap harbors homegrown talent that has been brewing for no more than a decade, but whose popularity has skyrocketed due to the demand for a more youth-driven sound. Since this influential genre has roots in the \u2018happening\u2019 neighbourhoods of Nyamirembo and Nyarutarama, which is also home to a large Muslim community, the result is a Kigali slang that integrates Swahili pauses, Arabic exclamation points, English apostrophes and French double entendres<\/em> into an already metaphor-filled Kinyarwanda language. Rumored to be inspired by the Rwandan kwivuga<\/em> oral storytelling tradition performed at large gatherings, the content of most kinyatrap songs paint a picture of urban trials and tribulations, the drive for success and the importance of collaboration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From an outsider\u2019s perspective, these drill anthems may seem like a mashup of boisterous beats and crude commentary, but the musical engineering and storytelling behind each track and accompanying music video points to a larger body of work. Considering recent backlash from authorities who pulled the plug on a Ycee concert in Kigali on March 19th, claiming a violation in noise regulation, despite organizers having the proper clearance to host the event, Rwandan artists are finally speaking out on the struggle to make music in a nation where veritable freedom of expression is often restricted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStop burying us alive. It\u2019s not about the refund of our 20 million [rwandan francs] spilled, it\u2019s for the generations to come who will never be motivated by what you do to this music<\/em>,\u201d says rapper Ish Kevin on an instagram post recounting the incident (he was later reimbursed when the city admitted fault). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Kigali, collaboration is key. Kinyatrappers, and their contemporary spinoff via Ish Kevin’s Trappish Music\/Loudsound Gang, might be well on their way to dominating the contemporary African hip-hop and rap game, but it\u2019s their frequent collaborators behind the decks, in the studio, and on set, that have a hand in helping these musical giants tower over the headline stage. Despite a recent boost in public and private investments into arts and culture-related projects in Rwanda, considering the lack of pre-existing infrastructure to support local artists, these determined and passionate players have sought to create their own arena, inviting fellow collaborators across many fields to join them on this long-term development endeavor. In doing so, recent years have seen young self-made businessmen and businesswomen finally receive recognition they deserve for the gems they\u2019ve helped carve out in Rwanda\u2019s burgeoning music industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an introduction to kinyatrap, we\u2019ve compiled a list of Rwanda\u2019s top tier kinyatrappers of the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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