Celebrity Watch: Jay Polly

Joshua Tuyishimire, a.k.a Jay Polly, is one of the upbeat hip-hop artists in Rwanda. He released his first song, “Nakupenda” in 2004 and co-founded the Tuff Gang crew a year later. He became popular in 2008 after the release of the single “Kwicuma”, with Green P, a co-rapper. He shone in 2010 with the release of hit singles like “Ndacyariho” and the latecomer, “Umufpumu Uzwi.” These earned him a “Salax Award” for the best hip hop artist and a ticket into the “Primus Guma Guma” competition, in which he came out as the second runner-up. Jay Polly and his crew have survived a lot of criticism, including allegations of performing when they are high with drugs, which often ruins their stage performance. This can be linked to their commonly explicit lyrics, though Polly rarely engages in vulgar language. They were also accused of being among the many local artists who pirate songs, a creeping habit locally known as “Gushishura.” Jay Polly is currently finalizing plans of launching his debut album which will be titled, “Iwacu”, after his most recent song. This single (Iwacu) is special from his past hits, with a blend of cultural percussions which make it original—perhaps the rapper is disapproving the pirating allegations. With his strong vocals and smooth flow, Jay Polly never seems to stop. Ends