With new genres dominating airwaves and playlists around the country, new producers are also emerging every day. Music producers in Rwanda have, in the last few years, gone from being room producers that use Fruit Loops to develop a beat or melodies, to becoming relevant shot callers, especially as investors are starting to show interest in them. Among them is Prince Kiiiz, real name Moïse Irabusa, one of the promising young producers in Rwanda who is the brains behind three tracks on Juno Kizigenza’s new album Yaraje, which is currently number one trending album in the country. Also read: Juno Kizigenza releases debut album ‘Yaraje’ The 21-year- old musician is also among the four producers that recently signed under Country Records, one of the biggest studios and record labels in the country. Also read: Who are the new producers signed under Country Records? Today, his tag ‘KIiIZ’ needs no introduction in the Rwandan music industry as it appears on most hits taking airwaves by storm. Who is Prince Kiiiz? In a recent interview with The New Times, Prince Kiiiz said that his love for music dates back when he started playing in a church band when he was only three years old. The name Kiiiz, read as ‘keys’, he said, came from the fact that he played the piano in a church band and ended up nicknamed as [keys] of the piano. Kiiiz further noted that he has been fond of music for a long time, but it became an advantage when he went to study music at Nyundo School of Arts and Music which relocated to Muhanga. “I loved music so much that at the age of three I played the drums in church. It gradually progressed until I went to music school and learned to play the piano. I studied music and focused on live music arrangements and composing. I was in a band too, Prince Kiiiz said, narrating his early days as a music student. After graduating, Prince Kiiiz progressed with song composing and helped many artistes compose songs until he decided to enter the business of music production. So, I came to a decision based on the fact that I had seen how artistes work, and I decided to go into music production, he said. Road to fame As a hustler and a young musician focused to get at the top of the game, Prince Kiiiz produced for different artistes including Papa Cyangwa and Okkama, all who were still upcoming acts in the industry then. His breakout song was Alyn Sano's ‘Fake Gee’ which was released in May 2022, and introduced the name Kiiiz to masses. After ‘Fake Gee’, Kiiiz landed on a six month deal with 1:55AM of Coach Gael and produced some of the smash hits that came out of the studio including Bruce Melodie’s ‘Funga Macho.’ The two tracks made Kiiiz a household name in Rwanda and attracted so much attention from big music investors in the country including Noopja who recently signed him under Country Records. According to Kiiiz, Rwandan music is on the rise and more than ever, dozens of capable producers are emerging every day and producing hits that have never been produced in the local music scene. “The industry is in a better shape than ever before, and among all the producers in Rwanda, they can’t say that one will replace another. We are all working together to push the industry,” Kiiiz noted. Today, the tag Kiiiz is on almost every hit that’s coming out, from Bwiza’s Do Me, to Juno Kizigenza’s Zezenge and Chris Eazy’s Lala among others, there is no doubt that the young producer is here to stay. He is also working with big names in the game including Bruce Melodie, Chriss Eazy Eddy Kenzo, Platini and others. He is backed by three other in-house producers at Country Records including Kozze, Pakkage, and Real Beat.
