AY is a name which has been catching attention of many in Rwanda's Hip Hop music scene, especially those who closely follows the music recorded at Get Money Forever (GMF) collective.

The producer, real name Simplice Elinathan Himbaza, was born and raised in Rwamagana District, Eastern Province, before moving to Kigali where he is currently building his own music empire.

The last born in a family of four—three brothers and one sister—AY’s early experiences and diverse background have influenced his music career.

The producer attended both nursery and primary school in Rwamagana and, growing up, he enjoyed going to church and playing football, but his passion for playing musical instruments fueled him to spending a lot of time at church.

New chapter in Kigali

AY's life took a turn when his family moved to Kigali as he was about to start secondary school. He began playing basketball with the ambition of pursuing it as a career.

"When I started secondary school, I began playing basketball, thinking it could become my career,” he says.

He played top basketball in secondary school but his interests soon expanded beyond the basketball court where he would spend a lot of time on the internet, which sparked his interest in graphic design.

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"Because I spent a lot of time on the internet, I developed an interest in graphic design. I had friends who were also passionate about it, and we worked together. Everyone would discover new tips and share them with the group,” he said.

Not content with just graphic design, AY ventured into video editing, driven by the endless inspiration he found online.

Path to music production

When AY reached A-level, he started making hip-hop beats, fueled by his love for various music genres. His talent for producing music was quickly recognized by his schoolmates, who began collaborating with him by adding their rap verses and vocals to his beats.

"When I got to A-level, I started to feel like I could make beats because I loved listening to so many songs and different genres,” he said.

"I started making hip-hop beats, but I thought it would end there. I made some friends at school who recognized my talent for producing music, and they started listening to my beats and adding their rapping and singing to them.”

This led AY to research recording techniques, despite the initial challenges of never having met a producer nor been to a studio. Their early recordings, though not of the highest quality, gained popularity and AY started to take music production seriously.

"Once I figured out how we could start recording, we made some songs that people liked, even though they weren't of the highest quality. To my surprise, people likes them and I started to feel that it was possible for me to turn this into a career.”

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At the beginning, AY told The New Times that he faced several obstacles, including lack of funds to purchase the necessary tools, difficulty finding like-minded artists, limited mentorship opportunities, and the struggle to produce competitive songs. However, his persistence and determination kept him pushing forward.

But he kept pushing...until things went his way.

His creative process involves a deep understanding of the music industry and staying updated on the latest trends in music production.

"My creative process involves spending more time learning how the music industry works and staying updated on how music production evolves every day, rather than just spending a lot of time in the studio making beats and mixing songs,” he said in an interview.

He values feedback from fans and gathers ideas from those around him, recognizing that music is made for the audience. He strongly believes that there is more to enjoying listening to his music which, he says, "has the power to heal and inspire many people out there.”

While his journey has been largely self-driven, AY acknowledges the crucial support from his family, friends, and his collective, GMF, which he considers a family.

It is at GMF where he produces, engineers, and even directs music videos.

"GMF is the biggest inspiration for me to make music because most of the time we spend together figuring out how to be creative and elevate our art and music to the next level so we can achieve our dreams,” he explains.

AY aims to become an international producer, representing Rwanda and its culture on the global stage. He aspires to bring "GMF into the spotlight, achieve financial stability, and support other young talents in achieving their dreams.”

His personal goals also include "having a family and continuing to grow as an artist” he added.