The last few weeks have been good for Rwanda’s music industry with local artistes dropping back-to-back smash hit tunes that are taking over global streaming platforms and establishing Rwandan music as a vibrant and dynamic industry. At The New Times, we are committed to keeping our ears on the pulse of the music scene and bringing the best sounds to your doorstep. This month we have songs that move from Afropop to Amapiano to R&B, to all kinds of genres. Here are the best top 10 tracks that are making rounds in the country Up Up – Bruce the 1ST One of the more consistent rappers operating from Kigali, Bruce the 1st has the streets on lock. From establishing himself as a brilliant freestyler, he’s released songs cut from the ethos of those spaces, and the mood behind his new single “Up Up” is no different. Set by a smooth beat with menacing vocal chops, he unfurls bars with razor sharp storytelling and punchlines. It’s the kind of song to make you say Hip-Hop’s back, even though it never went anywhere. Up Up was produced by Muriro and mastered by Bob Pro. Uransaza – Theecember Singer and producer Theecember is among the top musicians currently trending in East Afric after dropping another single track dubbed ‘Uransaza’ that was produced by renowned Nigerian producer Ozedikus Nwane who works with the likes of Rema and other influential artistes on the continent. Uransaza was produced in a new wave of Afropop which the young artiste is promoting both in Burundi and Rwanda. It has generated over 500, 000 streams on different platforms, making it the most trending song in Burundi at the moment. It follows Theecember’s first single dubbed ‘Back to You’ that was shot in Rwanda. Pyramid ( TaTa ) - Kevin Kade ft. Drama T and Kivumbi King Rwandan music and that of Burundi has built stronger ties , thanks to tracks like ‘Pyramid’ that connect both countries musically. For the past few days, Kevin Kade has dominated the Rwandan airwaves with his latest Track ‘TA TA’, a Kozze-produced slapper where the singer features Burundian star Drama T and Kivumbi King of Rwanda. It is trending number one in pubs and clubs of Kigali and can be streamed on all major streaming platforms. Bakalo – Papa Cyangwe ft. Ish Kevin Papa Cyangwe is on it again with another song for the summer that features Ish Kevin, one of the best rappers in Rwanda. Dubbed ‘Bakalo’, the hit song is among a few drill songs produced by Ayo Rush, one of the best music producers in Rwanda known for crafting smash hit songs only. It is regarded as one of the best collabos of the summer. One More Time – Kenny Sol ft. Harmonize After featuring Bruce Melodie on Zanzibar, Tanzanian star Harmonize has also shown interest youngsters of Rwanda and the latest among them is Kenny Sol who put the Tanzanian musician on his new EP dubbed ‘Stronger Than Before’ Harmonize appeared on ‘One More Times’, the most trending track on the EP which has close to one million streams on different streaming platforms. It was produced by Kenny Sol’s longtime collaborator, producer Element Eleeh of 1:55AM. Ooh Shito - Okkama A talented artiste, Okkama has been honing his sound over the years. This year, he has no time to rest and has already dropped bangers including ‘Ooh Shito’ which is his recently released track. The new song follows Okkama’s breakthrough tracks like Staper, No, Mesaje and many others. It was produced by The Major, who is also one of the best music producers in the country and member of the famous music band, Symphony. Pele – Kenny Shot ft. The Dice Kid On his newest single, rapper Kenny K-shot joins forces with up-and-coming artiste The Dice Kid. “Pele” is a song about many things, but most of it all, is how Rwanda has many young talents on the rise. The Dice Kid’s verse on the track is what catches the attention of everyone listening to the drill song. It's also among the best rap collabo of the summer. Empty Pockets – Riderman Rwandan sensational rapper is back in a new style. This time, the rapper has dropped a new track flowing on an Amapiano beat for the first time. Dubbed ‘Empty Pockets’, the single was produced by Knox Beat who is also making rounds in Rwanda's music industry after producing for big stars and outing dozens of hit songs.
