Teamwork is said to be one of the greatest tools to make overall work operate more efficiently. It has many benefits, for example, it helps develop a sense of attachment as people work towards a common goal. Some people, however, argue that it does not allow the proper recognition of one’s effort. 

Fabrice Ishimwe, better known by his stage name Major Phablah, shares a similar view, saying that appreciation can motivate individual growth. 

"I am for teamwork, but some people take advantage of others in the name of this and sometimes, ride on other people’s effort,” he shares. 

Having been a victim of what he calls exploitation, he is now on the road to making his own name, and, will continue working with others albeit careful not to let the injustice done to him in the past occur again.

Finding his path

26-year-old Ishimwe, a video director, fashionista, and rapper, has been in the industry for some time now. His love for music dates back to when he was five years old, singing in the children’s choir in Gisozi, a Kigali suburb.

"I used to follow American and French Hip-hop artistes growing up, and so I had a profound admiration for them. I would keep comparing them to some Rwandan hip-hop artistes I listened to back then. Each time, I would be frustrated as I saw how far we still had to go in our own music as a country. I think this is where I drew my inspiration from.”

"In 2015 I wrote my first song called ‘Ibyiy’ Injyana’ which never made it out. I failed to find a music director who would make a video that would meet the criteria I had set in my mind, so I did it myself. Even if the quality was poor back then, that’s how I started doing music, and I have directed all my videos like ‘Mubiganza’ ft Bushali, ‘Drip ni M$’ ft Rapxolutley, ‘Hakuna Matata’ and ‘Nshaka Money’ ft Rapxolutley and Crank Ace,” Ishimwe says. 

Stromae being his favorite artiste, from his and others rappers’ videos, Ishimwe noticed how the location of the video, the script, and outfits were just as important as the lyrics. 

"I went deep into the creative aspect of the production inspired by that. I also think I was partly influenced by my friends who used to compliment my sense of fashion,” he says. 

 "In many communities, Rwanda too, we are not yet familiar with all the parties that come together for a song to be released. There is the writer(s) of the song, the director(s), the actors/dancers, and the technical crew as well, maybe more.

"This makes the credit go to the singer or the house of production alone, yet there was a whole crew behind it. Some may use this to pay others less than they are worth sometimes. This, on the other hand, also makes it difficult in case the person wants to step aside and showcase their work. It is hard since their work is not recognised as theirs,” Ishimwe says. 

 "My goal is to make sure that people who do good work get the merit they deserve. And the media can help with this. I will take this opportunity to give a shout out to Big Team Production, which I was part of, because I know the passion and effort they put into what they do, and any other person doing their best but not getting recognised for it.  

"Rwandans should also embrace the idea of local rappers making music in English as this will surely enable us to compete on an international level. Also, we should change the mind-set regarding rap music/artists— not all are doing drugs or are involved in destructive habits. They should give us a chance to showcase our talent and prove that we too can be an asset.”

Ishimwe is set to release a song in collaboration with B-Threy dubbed ‘No Warning’.