Musicians and Rwandans in general are mourning the demise of Jay Polly real name Joshua Tuyishime, who was a top player in the Rwandan music and art industry.
According to Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS), the artiste passed away Thursday September 2, at Muhima hospital after consuming a concoction of aftershave, water and sugar.
Born July 5, 1988 in Gikondo, Kigali, Jay Polly was the second born in a family of three kids to Pièrre Nsabimana and Marianne Mukaburiza.
He was a hip hop singer and a prolific visual artist, who started painting at a tender age of five using illustration books. At the same age, he was also practicing singing in his neighbourhood church.
Jay Polly started music in a children choir at ADEPR church in Gakinjiro where His mother also sung in "HOZIANNA choir” at the same time.
He was introduced to rap music by his older brother Maurice, and started copying everything he did from his dressing code to his taste in music.
In 2002, he joined a modern dance group called "Black Powers” when he was in sixth grade.
In 2003, he met one of his childhood friends at E.S.K high school. Jay, Green P, Perry G and two others formed a group dubbed G5 and recorded their first track named ‘Nakupenda’, which was in R&B style and later released their first hip hop song called ‘Hip Hop Game’.
After a few years of making music as G5, the group met Lick Lick, a producer who was based at ONB studio in Kicukiro district. Later, Lick Lick introduced Bull Dog to the group and their friendship led to the formation of Tuff Gang crew, a gang that merged street hip hop music in Rwanda by releasing hits like "Freestyle”, "Kwicuma” and "Sigaho”.
In 2011 and 2013, he participated in the Primus Guma Guma Super Star4 (PGGSS) competition, but did not get the chance to win. In November 2013, he signed a three-year contract with Touch Records, a music production house based in Nyamirambo, Kigali. In 2014, he won the PGGSS which proved that he was the most loved Rwandan artiste then.
Some of his hits that trended in the days include ‘Deux fois deux’, ‘Ndacyariho Ndahumeka’ and ‘Akanyairajisho’.
In 2018, Jay Polly was arrested for assaulting his wife and was sentenced to five months in jail. After being released in 2019, he signed a three-year deal with The Mane Record which never lasted due to violation of the contract.
Jay Polly was again arrested on Friday, April 23, with 11 other people, who had illegally gathered at his place to party, violating measures against Covid-19, which was the last time he was seen in public.
Tributes
Meddy one of the best musicians in Rwanda wrote on Instagram "we love you Jay rest in peace my bro”
Tom Close, a close friend and colleague of Jay Polly who worked with him for many years wrote on Instagram;
"RIP jay. May God welcome you in heaven and give strength to your friends and family”.
US-based Rwandan singer Scillah, expressed, through an Instagram post, her sadness about Jay Polly’s death.
"Today I am crying for you, I also talked about you to celebrate you, I prayed for you but I am mostly going to miss you. I love you Jay udusize mugihirahiro ! Give heaven a show king”.
Riderman, one of the few hip hop artistes that helped Jay to raise rap music in Rwanda wrote on Instagram "R.I.P king, may God receive you among his people”.