Heritier Ibyishaka, also known as Gihanga, is a talented rapper whose popular music videos on social media have been attracting a lot of attention to his music in recent months.

The 21-year-old from Musanze District released his debut song in 2022, following years of practice in high school and recording voice memos on his phone, marking the beginning of his rap career.

Gihanga, who has four siblings, mentioned that his passion for music was inherited from his parents who were members of a church choir, adding that he is not the sole artist in his family; his older brother, who is also part of a choir, specialises in gospel music.

The story behind ‘Rusizi’

‘Rusizi’ is the rapper’s most recent release with 22,000 and 200,000 views on YouTube and Instagram, respectively.

Gihanga mentioned that he has never visited Rusizi but chose the district’s name to narrate his journey from a distant place, considering this region in western Rwanda as one of the farthest in the country.

"‘Twavuye kure nk’umwana wavuye Rusizi’ which translates as ‘we came from far as a kid who came from Rusizi’ is my story,” Gihanga said.

"In 2021, I was nobody, but now I can walk down the streets and people recognise me and say they are fans, making me feel like I have accomplished something,” noted the rapper.

When it comes to favourites, Gihanga’s list is extensive and includes ‘legends’ such as rapper Bulldog and Riderman.

"I can also say Sema Sole is dope and a friend of mine called Jeroismusic, and Mike Kayihura,” he said.

If he were to meet his favourite artist, Gihanga would ask them to create more music and collaborate with them, especially Mike Kayihura.

According to the rapper, his music style leans more towards storytelling. Gihanga mentions that this is something even his friends have pointed out.

"Recently, my friends mentioned that when they listen to my songs, it feels like I’m having a conversation with someone rather than just rapping,” he explained.

Challenges and highlights

Gihanga, who has been pursuing music professionally for two years, mentioned that his main challenges have been producers not delivering his songs on time or causing delays in the production process. However, he emphasized that aside from these issues, his journey has been smooth.

"I release songs, people listen to them, they like them and they request for more. Other than that everything is good,” he said.

According to the rapper, his biggest highlight so far has been performing at Sofar Sounds where he met his favourite celebrities like Sema Sole and Mike Kayihura.

"It was a life-changing moment. Getting to perform for all those people was the highlight in my life,” he said.

Upcoming projects, life after music

Gihanga mentioned that when not working on music, he engages in photography and videography.

"I spend a lot of time editing videos and photos, enjoying moments with my friends,” he shared.

Having released only four songs so far, Gihanga intends to record a new song in the coming days and aims to produce a minimum of 30 songs this year.

"I want to have a good catalogue of songs, I don’t want people to find only two or three songs on my page. I want to, at least, have two albums and hold a couple of shows at the arena, or even the stadium which is about to be complete,” he said.