Karangwa Lionel, a.k.a Lil G, is the youngest Rwandan rapper who is doing it big in the local music industry. At his tender age of 15, he is already a crowd puller and wherever he performs he keeps revellers on their feet with his dazzling freestyle rap techniques.

Lil G was born March 20th 1994 in Kigali. He started school in 1997 at La Colombiere and later moved on to St. Joseph from where he completed primary school. He is currently in senior two at Ape Rugunga.

The annual street ball which takes place in Kigali was the place where Lil G discovered his enormous talents. It was the street ball held at Petit Stade in December 2007 where during the one week event of discovering local talent that Lil G outshone a host of other young artists to scoop a prize of Rwf50,000 and a one year recording deal with Contact fm studios.

Lil G never looked back from then. Up to date, Lil G has released five popular tracks despite his being busy with school. Immediately after getting himself a recording deal with Contact Fm, he went straight to business and in 2008 he released ‘In da club’ a song that emphatically announced his arrival in the growing local music industry.

He went on to release four other popular hits and his most recent one ‘Nimba umugabo’ released in September last year is still doing rounds at the local radio stations and in clubs. 

Lil G is considered one of the pioneers of Kinyarwanda rap and he already has scooped himself accolades including the best performing young artist at the salax awards.

He plans to move abroad to Uganda and study from there while at the same time learning from the more established Ugandan artists like Radio&Weasel whom he says are his good friends.

He is confident he can strike a balance between his books and music and that stardom does not affect his performance in class.  

Lyrics to the song ‘Nimba Umugabo’

VERSE1: Nkubita y’abato umunsi
 umwe nzitwa gentleman
 appettit kila siku sinsiga imyaka ku isahani
 south kicu nariyi iciki saa munani
 Lil G mu byo nkora byose ndi namba one.
 Mbibutsa ibishuka byaba bitesha ubwere 
 uzakora ute nta mutimanoma nta kameze
 nimbumugabo nka nzondela mu miterere
 witeguza rap discours yu mwimerere
 nkabyuka kare tret tot nkaba ngeze Ape   Rugunga 
 nkakora neza kugira ngo nzabone ikintunga
 nkagendana nabeza ababi nkabahunga
 kuko banyigisha kwiba nkafatwa bakafunga
 mu byo nkora ngomba kwiga
 kugirango nimbumugabonzabone bourse  nkazakorera cash nkiyubaha nkambara   costume 
 nuzambona wese akabona ko nfite
 costume

CHORUS: Nimbumgabo nzerekana itandu   kariza byabagabo icyamicya cyivuza kiri   kumutima. Nimbumugabo nzaharanira   gukora ibyiza gusa. Indata zanjye
 nimbumugabo....

 VERSE2: Bizaba ari impinduka njye    nimb’umugabo
 ndagije amashuri na kwandika igitabo 
 sinzongera gushomera bya cyane 
 nzareba ibigezweho aribyo tujyana
 nzitonda iwanjye sinzaba intare y’inkazi 
 ninjira nsuhuza abo nsanze mvuye ku kazi
 nganiriza abanjye mbasetsa kakahava
 mbaza abana banjye nti ese comment cava
 nzaba ntakitwa umwana ndi patron
 njyenda kukazi muri nissan patrol
 nkora akzi kanjye nshinzwe nta bya
 turicherie
 kandi nirinda ibishuka bya shushu cherie  nzakora akazi nkumuntu uciye akenje
kuko ndi muto nariye menge
inati nazo ntizizampa agahenge
kuko mukazi nzaba ndimuziranenge

CHORUS:
VERSE3: Nimbumugabo sinzambar nk’umupagasi 
 ni veste ndetse n’ikoti iteye ipasi
ntabgo nzaba ndumugome nka fagasi
cyangwase ngo mbe nkumutwe wa hamasi
nzafasha abakene kandi batishoboye
imfubyi zo kumuhanda n’abapfakazi
mbakure ku cyovu mbashakire n’akazi 
kuko nimbumugabo nzaba ndi aimable 
niyo mpanvu muri byose nzaba ndi capable
nzakwizakwiza mu bantu ubukungu
haba mubirabura ndetse n’abazungu
nimbumugabo nzarwanya akajagari
mparanire guteza mbere abari
intego yanjye izaba ari amadolari
naba jepe cyangwa umushoramari

Ends