As the music industry continues to expand in Rwanda, many artistes and producers are following suit and combining effort to continue growing the industry to greater heights. Local producer, Danny Beats, one of the best beat-makers in the country, has organised a rap competition with the aim to boost the hip-hop genre in Rwanda and support young musicians from different areas of the country who are interested in the same genre. Dubbed ‘Teraflow’, the competition has already benefited dozens of emerging musicians in its first season that was held April 1, 2020 in Rubavu District, and is now going to each province of the country in its next series. The initiative, according to Danny Beats, comes at a time when Rwanda is experiencing a boost in the music sector, but not specifically in hip-hop due to how people still see it as a ‘genre for thugs’. Danny Beats This, he says, is what inspired him to create ‘Teraflow’, with the target of creating a room for hip-hop in Rwanda, as well as organising different shows like rap battles and freestyle matches that will increase the fan base of this genre in different areas of the country. “There is a huge gap between rap and other styles of music in Rwanda, yet we have good rappers in the industry. My main target with this competition is to create a platform that will allow hip-hop producers and artistes improve their music skills and earn from it,” Danny Beats says. With ‘Teraflow’, the ‘Twifunze’ hit-maker believes that new producers will be discovered, and they will also learn how to make money outside of the studio. According to Danny Beats, the first edition saw a big turn up of young musicians who connected and learned from each other, a move that depicts how such platforms are a necessity in Rwanda. Prince Bado, the competition’s first edition winner, went home with a prize of Rwf300, 000 and a bonus track produced by top hip-hop producers Pro Zed, Kina Beat, Baeley99beats, Danny Beats and a Rubavu-based producer, Captain P. To participate in the competition, one has to register and pay Rwf5, 000 for an individual and Rwf7, 000 as a group. In the next editions, the producer says that he is planning to include other genres in the competition like afro beat, R&B and pop, with a target of uplifting Rwandan music in general. The next edition is going to be held in Kigali at the end of this month, and registration for the competition will start next week, organisers say.
