It is every musician’s dream to make it to the top. However negotiating the journey to the top is like wading across a lake when you don’t know how to swim. That is how hard it is.

Black Boys, a duo that is keen on Afrobeat/dancehall, has been in the business for close to four years now. To have a diverse audience, they have done music in English, Swahili and Kinyarwanda. But despite giving it their all, they are yet to get to the heights they feel they deserve. 

"I began doing music since I was seven. I sang in the church choir and as a child I got a lot of encouragement from society saying that I should pursue music as a full time career. In 2010 I teamed up with a Bab G and the group Black Boys was born,” says Danny M,real name Daniel Ntihabose, one of the group members.  So far the duo has released six singles and is currently working on its second video.

"At times you have a good track but not enough money to have it recorded, other times you have a good track and money to record it but the producer decides to give the song to a ‘bigger’ artiste. We have seen it all,” says Ntihabose. According to him, there are times when you have music but no radio presenter is ready to play it since you do not have the money to bribe him or her. "It is a real nightmare for upcoming artistes, apparently when you need more than just talent. You need to have deep pockets.” 

So what’s the way forward? "If and when we get a contract with a leading music production label, our woes will be over. Labels are the way to go, they give you exposure, gigs and promote you since they know their way around the music scene,” says Ntihabose.