MANY PERCEIVE HIP HOP as a genre for men but don’t tell this to Aimerence Zawadi also known as Zad. The 23-year-old IYF World Youth Got Talent star has found her niche in doing this style and is motivated to leave a strong legacy to music lovers.

Ever since she was in high school, Zad has always loved hip hop. She grew up listening to rappers like Nicky Minaj, Lil wayne and Eminem and realised that she could rap too. For her, the passion is what lured her to start writing small lines and turn them into rhymes.

In 2019, she met a producer named Gross Beat who offered her a beat for trial and he loved it, turning it into Zad’s first song, ‘Bimpa fame’.

Apart from being passionate about rap, Zad was also enthused to bring a positive change to the music industry that has been male dominant for a long time.

"I started with an online campaign called #GirlsCanRapToo. I wanted to show girls that they can rise with rap too, setting myself as an example. I also wanted to change people’s mind sets who think one can’t do music with a sober mind or without taking drugs,” she told The New Times.

She shared that rap has contributed to the person she is today because it has helped her see the world in a bigger and brighter picture as well as be able to welcome different situations.

She said that she has learned to collaborate with artists of different personalities and styles towards a great project.

"Any time you hear my song, you immediately know it’s ‘a Zad song’ and not a pop smoke song. Second, in my songs, I try my best to have uplifting messages loaded with positivity,” she said.

She continued, "I write about real circumstances that people go through so that listeners can easily relate. Another thing is that I mix languages because I want people from all regions of the world to listen to my music,” she said. Zad also writes her own songs and according to her, it’s not easy to come up with lyrics that are meaningful, adding that it requires her some time to meditate. In 2020, during the IYF World Youth Got Talent Competition, her song, I can’t breathe, won the first place and grand prize in Rwanda and competed at the East African level. She is also working with different big musicians in Rwanda on her first Extended Play (EP). Being a female rapper in Rwandan music industry has not come without challenges. One of them is the wrong perception about her.

"People who would look at me immediately assumed that I am a shameless and manner less gangster who uses drugs and hence start trashing her, but due to my passion for rap, I forged ahead with her journey,” she said.

Another challenge, she added, is that music requires capital to record songs, shootvideos or promote them, making it hard to do it without a manager or support.

She continued, "Also the pandemic makes it hard because it keeps meddling with my schedules. For instance, during lockdown, I can’t access the studio.”

 When asked why there are still a few female rappers in Rwanda, Zad pointed out different challenges they face.

"Some girls face sexual harassment from producers and promoters and are threatened that if they don’t sleep with them, they will never become stars. Also, the fact that hip hop has always been "for men”, women are not supported, loved and heard as much as men which may discourage some,” she said.

Some of her songs include ‘Mkali’ which is her current release produced by Gross beat from Tunda Music, ‘Money’ ft Bako, ‘I can’t Breathe Freestyle’, ‘Ibanga’, and ‘Bimpa fame’.

She has also appeared in different collaborations such as the ‘Coffee Female Cypher’ Ep4 by El Kojo produced by Kina beat, ‘All Eyes On Me’ from Wide Mission produced by Justin Pro, ‘Be My Love’, ‘Malaika’ ft TK from Nigeria produced by Sean Brizz, and ‘Uko Navutse’ Project from Capital Records produced by Fazzo, among many others.

Zad declares that she still raps because what inspired her in the first place is still there. She is planning to take her music to the farthest possible level; from East Africa and extend worldwide.  She said that she wants the world to know that Rwanda has naturally dope female rappers.  

Her songs are on Youtube channel: Tunda Music Rwanda.

You can find her on social media, Instagram: ni_zad and facebook: Zad Wi Rwanda