The name Kivumbi King, a.k.a Cyacyana, needs no introduction to Rwanda’s music industry. He is regarded by many as the frontrunner of the new generation transforming Rwanda’s music industry with genre-defying sounds.

Kivumbi King first made rounds in Rwanda’s music scene in 2019 after dropping his first single ‘Madam’, followed by a number of collabos and EP’s, until 2021 when he released 'D.I.D', a 10-track album that featured hit songs like ‘Nakumena Amaso’, ‘Black Shades’, ‘Jericho’ and many others that offered him a voice and attention in Rwanda’s music industry.

The youngster began this year enjoying the success of ‘Wait’, his first release of the year and so far, the biggest Rwandan hit song of 2024, which will appear on his second album ‘Ganza’ that is set to premiere on Friday, May 17.

As the D-day of the album's release fast approaches, The New Times' Emmanuel Gatera caught up with Kivumbi King to discuss the making of GANZA, which translates to "Conquer" in English, which is produced in a blend of genres that will also feature special appearances of big names locally and internationally, including Uganda's Josh Baraka, his long-time collaborator Mike Kayihura, A-Pass and many others.

The artiste and poet, who penned the viral poems 'Cyacyana' and 'Umudugudu', also revealed more about his new three-year deal with Nigerian music label, Deealoh Entertainment, which currently manages and distributes all his projects.

Also read: Kivumbi King inks three-year deal with Nigerian music label

Below are the excerpts;

It’s been almost five years since you dropped your first single ‘Madam’. Briefly tell us about your music journey and how you ended up recording music as a professional artiste?

It's a long process but it started with the passion to just write and make music and at some point, I started writing poems and going to perform them at open mics and stuff. Like that, I got some experience with writing and started looking for studio sessions. I don't know if there was a day where I was like okay, now I'm going to enter the music industry. I don't think that day was there. I just made it happen and somehow, I still don't believe I'm in the music industry.

2024 has been a good year for your music career, with your first release of the year becoming your biggest hit song since you ventured in the music industry. How did ‘Wait’ come to life and how did you link up with Axon to produce this banger?

I met Axon through MC Ivan, shout out to him actually. It was like two years when he sent me a song but nothing really materialized out of it. Last year, he came to Kigali and I was with him all the time and that’s when 'Wait' was recorded. I had to go back to Uganda to perform at Blankets and Wines which is actually huge in Kampala and we finished the video of the song. We wanted to drop it in December actually, but he said let's drop it in January, so that it just starts with the new year. Me and him didn't know it was going to be a hit, I swear, we didn't know but you know it went how it went.

Your second official album 'Ganza' is ready and set to drop Friday. Kindly take us through its production, the inspiration behind it and the message you want to give through the album.

You can tell from the title itself; 'Ganza' translates to conquer. I don't feel like I am conquering in terms of where people think it's a fight happening, but more of like taking a stand and being like okay, I've done this for a certain period of time and at some point, we can't be the underdogs. There has to be a point where we say okay, we are the people, we are doing. So that's the type of 'Ganza' I'm talking about.

We've had the songs for a long time, it's just that I had to put together an album from public demand really and my people because it's been like two and a half close to three years since the last project D.I.D. So yeah, that's really what the album is about, conquering and taking what's yours.

Is this a no-feature album, if not, what are the special names to appear on GANZA?

I have a few features on the album. What really excites me about the whole thing is the intro. I've been trying to link up with this person for a long time and she's called Moonchild Bee. For those who don't know her you can look her up, that's the first person on the album.

We have Mike Kayihura. Of course, I don't think I'll ever do an album and not put Mike Kayihura on it. I have Riderman, Joshua Baraka from Uganda, NViiri the Storyteller and A-Pass.

There’re already four tracks that are out. There's 'Angel and Demon', 'Captain' and 'Wine'. These songs are already out and 'Wait' of course.

You are more of a rapper than anything, and many of your fans and the music are interested to know if 'Ganza' will feature other music genres. What are some of the genres that make the album and producers that crafted it?

Well, for me, I can never make an album where it's going to be just hip-hop or just an Afrobeat album. I feel like I have to express myself at the end of the day and I can't call myself a rapper, and I can't call myself a singer. So, I feel like I have to project that through all the projects that I actually make.

There are some hip-hop songs on the album, there are Afrobeats and R&B songs. For the most part, the album was mixed and mastered by Bob pro, shout out to Bob pro And Axon.

The other people that have songs on the album are Ayo Rush, Muriro and Pro-Zed.

You recently inked a three-year deal with a Nigeria-based record label. How did you secure this deal?

They tried to approach me two years ago but leverage wasn't there yet. Many things were not in place, but I was patient and they were patient too.

When the time was right, we said, ok, let's give it a go. Shout out to Deealoh Entertainment, That's my label. That's where you can find me right now and that's where everything is going to be happening in terms of business.

Actually, from now on, the music is going to come out better, and looking better than it already looked like.

What are some of the inputs that the label is adding to your music career?

There's the sponsorship and funds part of the deal. Because, to blow on an African level, you need a lot of funds. We call it fuel. An airplane can't get off without fuel and enough fuel.

There's also exposure because they know how the market works in West Africa. In East Africa, we are not struggling like that, I'd say, in terms of reach.

But I don't think anybody knows us in West Africa. And that's the main reason. We need to break out not only in West Africa, but also South Africa.

What else After 'Ganza'?

To not spoil many things, the plan was 'Ganza'. In all its forms, we are going to do listening parties, we are going to do music videos, we are going to do all sorts of things that come with the album.

But also, at the end of the day, we want to throw a show. We want that at the end of the year, when people have fully listened to the album, fully understood what the album is about, we want to do a launch event.

You and your generation are labelled the gamechangers of Rwanda’s music industry. Do you believe that you're changing the industry, how?

I really do. I think it takes effort, not only one person, but a collective group of effort.

And to some degree, actually to some big degree, we have changed the game in ways that the music has cut across not only in Rwanda, but the whole continent.

But also, the type of music that's being made is not the music that used to be made before. I remember the first time we were playing people our songs, they were like, but this is not Rwandan music, and we were like, it is Rwandan music, it's just that people don't make this type of music and had left it for everyone outside.

So yeah, I think to some degree they have changed the game, we have changed the game.

Are there loopholes in the industry that need to be gapped? If yes, where exactly do you think something must be improved?

I think the talent is there.

There's always going to be loopholes. Also, I believe even in the Nigerian music industry, even in the American music industry, there's still loopholes, there's still problems. I feel like it's better if we focus on what we really have against everybody else, and that's us, that's our culture, that's our talents, that's our language, all of this.

If we capitalize on this and export it, we'll have so many things against other people. But in terms of our industry, it's still a growing industry, we still don't have funds, we still don't have distribution, publishing, all these things that really ensure that the artist does not depend on show money alone, or anything else they do. So, the real infrastructure to collect royalties for the artist is to give them to the artist not to anybody else.