Not the wrath you might assume, but the rapper hailing from Kigali, Rwanda, is one of a few passionate artistes onto his game due to the entwined spiced lyrical flow he brews. His recent concert dubbed Memoirs of a Mad Rapper was another milestone in unveiling the act he holds.
Notwithstanding who a fine Spoken Word Artiste he is in the eyes if the few, his recently held show in October at Niyo Café at Kigali Impact Hub uncovered another side of who a rapper he really is. Having made appearances in several Spoken Word Rwanda events, where his eloquence is felt through a few of his poems, and some rap performances, J-Dub ‘El- Fazo’ adheres to more in the narrow local music scene.
Angel Mutoni, Don_Novaa, Prime, Bingy among other hip-hop artistes, who to are prominent within most Spoken Word events curtain raised the Memoirs of a Mad Rapper event, hence lightening up the stage during the rainy evening.
For close to 2 hours, El- Fazo stormed the stage, while he performed most of his songs like War, Friday and others off Memoirs of a Mad Rapper– most in English and a few Kinyarwanda lyrics; the rapper relates well with the audience- fuses with most in most swaying beats. To plain beats he articulately thumps lyrical verse, while in some songs, he fuses with Prime and Don_Novaa.
His Mix-Tape
Memoirs of a Mad Rapper, his 10-track mix-tape produced by Good Times Records was released in July this year follows Dub Therapy is motivated from the artiste’s out-burst feeling of what he holds within; the passion for hip-hop, the rage that the genre hasn’t yet found its place within the industry, and the urge to prove his worth in the industry.
Memoirs Of a Mad Rapper
Who he is
Hailing from the group 1O1, years ago in Riviera High school, together with colleagues the articulate Don_Novaa and Janelle, John Ruberanziza Nkera alias El- Fazo’s career as a hip hop artiste spans three years now. The self-possessed rapper, holding great suave he reflects throughout his stage acts has crafted a unique performance style which greatly lures in the audience to sing and dance along to his live stage acts.
During the Concert
Though still pushing his career, as a rising rapper, challenges with in the local industry prevail, “I’ve at so many times wanted to quit due to the fact that locally we lack opportunities for exercising, yet with limited resources available for hip-hop talented artistes too,” he clarifies.
The rapper further cites how underground artistes still find it harder breaking through as local radio and televisions rarely promote their music. “We currently lack music platforms to usher in the music we do, since Rwanda holds very few. We have always utilized the few like the Art House and Spoken Word Rwanda which are seasonal too- unlike in our neighboring countries like Uganda and Kenya, where such activities are on weekly basis,” El- Fazo.
Following his mix tape premiere, El- Fazo, who just accomplished a degree in Business Administration and Management at Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi further reveals how he is determined to carry on as a hip-hop artiste by exploring more with in the region. The rapper is eying more platforms for performance, with strong belief of raising his career.
