A NEW RAP COMPETITION dubbed ‘My rap journal’ is set to identify and recognize the most talented upcoming rappers in Rwanda. The competition is designed for talents that would love to make their mark in music but haven’t got the opportunity to do so yet. Justin Sunday Nzitatira who is currently a businessman in the United States, came up with the initiative to boost rappers’ talents through his new label, ‘Sunday Love Media Entertainment’ and do a talent search. Being in music, he realised that there are a lot of talents that are not recognised due to the lack of funds to further their careers and so their talents are put to waste. “I realised that rap music is getting less popular in Rwanda because rappers entered the music without guidance and due to many local rappers have never got a chance to be invested in,’’ he told The New Times. The competition, he said, is slated to begin at a soon-to-be communicated date this month and will end on August 1. It is open to all age groups and gender and will take place on all social media platforms. Eligibility Nzitatira explained that the participants are required to take a one-minute video, singing any of their best choice of songs. The video should be sent on +1574 3446028 (Nzitatira’s WhatsApp number) accompanied by their full names. After the videos are submitted, he added that they will be put together by the judges and uploaded on Sunday Love Media Entertainment’s YouTube channel. “The voting session will be through comments after we upload a video of one of the participants,’’ He says. However, the founder of the label continued that the competition will be carried in three phases and so far over 40 rappers has attended. The second phase we will select 10 of the participants who will be voted more than others in the comments session and will go to the finals. The third phase will be the selection of top five contestants from whom the winner will be selected. “The judges will select the top five who will reach the finals, the other four will be given any guidance they can require us as a label,’’ Nzitatira added. The winner will walk home with Rwf100, 000 and the label will pay for his/her songs both audio and video, offer two years contract of management and guidance for a period of two years . The performances at the finals will be live on social media to observe covid_19 guidelines and the dates will be announced by the organisers.
