For nearly 15 years, rapper Prime Mazimpaka and Ju. Rusine pursued their music careers on separate paths. Now, the two artistes, who first crossed paths as high school freestyle rivals, have reunited on Vendetta, a collaboration that also features Burundian artiste Alain IG.

Their story began in Kigali’s high school music scene, long before either had established a professional career.

Ju. Rusine was part of 101, a crew that included Jay Dab and Gatikabisi, while Mazimpaka was part of Skank Nation alongside White Monkey and Fame. The two groups often met at concerts that brought together students from different schools.

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They competed, released music and gradually became friends.

"After 15 years without ever working together, the time had come for us to finally collaborate,” Mazimpaka told The New Times.

For Mazimpaka, Vendetta is about more than bringing old friends together. It reflects how, despite the demands of adulthood, family and other careers, the two have remained committed to music.

Ju. Rusine, who is now based in the United States, said his relationship with music has gone through different chapters. His first connection to the art came through breakdancing in high school before he developed an interest in writing after joining boarding school.

There were periods when music took centre stage and others when life pulled him in different directions, but he repeatedly found his way back to it.

"I still feel like I’m learning, evolving and becoming a better artist more than ever before,” Rusine said.

Living in the US has also broadened his musical perspective.

Exposure to different cultures and sounds has influenced his work, while being away from Rwanda has deepened his appreciation of his roots.

His music now combines elements of American hip-hop and experiences from life in the US with his Rwandan roots, language and personal experiences.

That distance also shaped Vendetta.

The collaboration was largely completed remotely, with the artistes and production team working from different countries. Nigerian producer Anthony, known as Dseasoner, created the instrumental, while Drey Armani, based in Portland, Maine, handled production, recording, mixing and mastering.

The music video also brought together directors and creatives on both sides of the Atlantic. Tristan Anderson, known as Shotbytristan, handled the main video, including editing and colour work, while Travis served as assistant director. Director Kojo handled Mazimpaka’s scenes in Kigali.

Ju. Rusine told The New Times that working with Mazimpaka again carried significance beyond the music.

"Prime isn't somebody I just met in the studio. We go back to the beginning,” he said. "We knew each other when music was really just a dream and we were still figuring everything out.”

That history, he added, meant there was already trust between them.

"You don't have to force the chemistry,” Ju. Rusine said. "We can be honest with each other, exchange ideas and sometimes understand where the other person is trying to go without having to explain everything.”

Bringing Alain IG into the project added another dimension, allowing the three artistes to combine different backgrounds and musical identities on one record.

The project also explores what it means to continue making music without being consumed by the pressure to produce a hit.

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Mazimpaka said the title Vendetta reflects some of the criticism the artistes have faced over the years, particularly questions about why they have remained in music for so long without producing what some people consider ‘a major hit.’

But that, he said, is not what keeps them going.

"If we were chasing hits, we wouldn't still be making music,” Mazimpaka said. "We do this because we love it.”

For him, the real motivation is the connection artistes develop with their craft over time.

"You have to be a little bit crazy enough to still be pursuing those dreams at this point,” he said. "The more you do something, the more deeply you fall in love with what you are doing.”

Ju. Rusine sees the same persistence in the collaboration.

One of the project's central ideas, he said, is connection—between artistes, between Rwanda and its diaspora, and between where they started and where they are today.

"We've been doing music for many years, going through different stages of life, and we're still here creating,” he said. "The project is a reminder that your journey doesn't have to happen overnight.”

The visual concept takes a different direction, drawing inspiration from The Matrix, the science-fiction film. Ju. Rusine said the concept reflects the generation they live in, particularly as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly present in everyday life and people become more dependent on technology.

Yet beneath the futuristic visuals, Vendetta remains a story about persistence.

Mazimpaka said music has also been a personal form of therapy and a way of connecting with audiences, friends and collaborators throughout his journey.

After years of change, he remains certain about his commitment to music.

"I am still strong, I am still standing firmly in my art because this is the life I chose,” he said. "This is what I live for and what I love, and nothing can change that.”