Rwandan hip-hop artiste White Monkey is putting his real name and stage persona head-to-head on his new 10-track album, Mugemanyi vs White Monkey. Released August 7 through Green Ferry Music Entertainment, the album follows Fred Mugemanyi, the person behind the artiste, through themes of struggle, nightlife, temptation, faith, desire and self-discovery. The LP shows the contrast between Mugemanyi, the person known to family and friends, and White Monkey, the fearless and unpredictable MC audiences know on stage. ALSO READ: Eight Hip-Hop projects defining 2026 so far “Mugemanyi is my real name. Most of the time I am Mugemanyi more than White Monkey,” he said. “White Monkey is the artist, the gifted one, the MC, the crazy one.” An alter ego is an imagined version of oneself that expresses traits or behaviors different from the everyday person. For White Monkey, the stage name has become an established part of his identity despite several attempts to change it. “I tried so many times to change my AKA, but never succeeded,” he said. “It is what makes me, it’s what people know me for. So I had to call the album Mugemanyi vs White Monkey, those two personalities going against or crashing into each other as I try to navigate this thing called life.” The album is centered on White Monkey, featuring only Babiche Papaya on “Kikurimwo” and Racine on “Nuwo.” He said the limited collaborations were intentional, giving him space to demonstrate his range as an MC. “I want this album to make people hear my skills. I can do a hook, a chorus, everything. A real MC, a true me,” he said. All 10 tracks were produced by Dr. Nganji, Green Ferry Music’s in-house producer. White Monkey said the studio process influenced some of the song titles, with several tracks already carrying names when he returned to record. The album features “Mugemanyi vs White Monkey,” “Kikurimwo” featuring Babiche Papaya, “Icupa,” “Kwa Lumumba,” “Urarara,” “Nuwo” featuring Racine, “Nta Matayo nta Luka,” “Penetensiya,” “Mugemanyi” and “Intsinzi.” For White Monkey, the project comes down to honesty in songwriting. “I believe people write from two things: either from your mind or from your heart. I prefer writing from my heart,” he said. “That’s where I write real things that have an impact or can touch a lot of people.” “The album of the year with no debate,” White Monkey will perform songs from the album for the first time at the I AM HIP HOP Festival 2026: Regional Edition, scheduled for August 28-29 at the Institut Français du Rwanda in Kigali. “Time, no one controls it. Anytime can be your time as long as you are alive,” he said. Mugemanyi vs White Monkey is available on streaming platforms.
