RAP CULTURE is slowly taking over Rwanda’s music scene, thanks to The Dice Kid and other young artistes putting efforts together to uplift the emerging sound in the country. The Dice Kid might be new to your ears, but his rhymes and flows are showing possible signs of taking the Rwandan music scene places. The 21-year-old, real name Elijah Ntare Shema, first hit the scene when he released his maiden studio mixtape titled “Tunes For The Kids.” He has since worked with the likes of Kenny K-shot, Maestro Boomin, Sema Sole and many others who gave him a spotlight to shine in Rwanda's music. In an exclusive interview with The New Times, the young rapper said that his goal is to set the tone and introduce a new sound in the Rwandan music scene by merging elements of hip-hop and alternative trap. His main inspirations, he said, are rooted in battle rap as he used to mimic the flow patterns and rhymes he saw on YouTube. “From the age of 13 I had already started crafting my own raps and made my first song at 15. That’s where it all started,” the rapper said about his first days in music. With his popular slogan ‘Getem Dicey’ and his electric stage presence, The Dice Kid hopes to hit a global scale and make his city international in the music scene. “My latest song titled 'Situated' is my first release of the year, as I gear up to release my second studio mixtape in which I will be tackling sensitive topics like anxiety and depression,” The Dice Kid said, adding, “I plan to take the Rwandan hip hop scene on a global scale and put Kigali on the map.” The Dice Kid boats off one single dubbed ‘Situated’ and a number of freestyles including Privileged Rappers (Freestyle) that features Maestro Boomin.
