AIME BRUCE NZEYIMANA NGENZI known by his stage name Taykun Degree is an upcoming artiste doing Hip Hop in a new music style he dubbed ‘Trap Soul’. Growing up in the 2000s he says, he often enjoyed rap music and lip synced other rappers which is how he fell in love with Hip Hop music. At the age of 15, he realised he can write down some lyrics and perform them on the stage while he was in secondary school. He later launched a music career in 2019. “My first time at the studio was funny, I tried to rap, sing the verse, and do the backing all at once but the producer guided me. I was already talented but it’s sometimes challenging when you’re new in the game,’’ he says. Asked about his breakthrough song Taykun Degree said that his debut song, ‘Ma name’ which brought him to the spotlight and paved way for his other songs. The 22-year-old told The New Times that as a growing artiste in the industry, he wants to introduce Trap Soul, a Hip Hop style which is unpopular among local artists. “Trap Soul’ styl is becoming most popular in the U.S. It is a style that captures everyones attention with its high vibes and emotional vibration. I want to introduce it as it is less known in Rwanda yet it is among the best, he said. “Bushali invented Trap music, and B-Threy brought Drill music, I also want to innovate Trap soul style, he added. The rapper came to fame after his spectacular performance at the East Africa’s Got Talent auditions in October 2019, in Kigali. Taykun Degree managed to reach the semifinals after his performance was appreciated by most of the judges. Challenges Ngenzi however, added that his career has not been with challenges, which he decided to sum up in his new single track dubbed ‘kora rata. “Even though many believe in my talent, many also discourage me. In my latest release ‘Kora rata’ I sing about why it is not necessary to focus on the negatives but rather focus on the positives.’’ He added that it is very difficult for most upcoming musicians to get the capital to pursue their careers as they are required to produce both audio and videos of standard quality. Besides ‘Kora rata’, he also has other five single tracks dubbed ‘Papa Sukari’ featuring Racine, ‘Mamari’, ‘Everyday’, ‘Gakweto’ that features Jumpy boys and ‘May 19’. Born and raised in Muhanga district, the singer is currently a university student at the University of Rwanda (UR) pursuing Zoology and conservation. He is also working on his Extended Play (EP) by which he is yet to release.
