Celebrated Rwandese rap star, songwriter and producer Ish Kevin has announced his first single under Universal Music Group East Africa. The record dubbed “Best Friend” sees a collaboration with one of Kenya’s fast-rising vocal female powerhouses , Njerae. Ish Kevin , one of the leading voices in East Africa’s rapscape has shared his elation at signing with Universal terming it a “groundbreaking moment for Rwanda’s rap and music scene”. The release comes hot on the heels of UMG EA unveiling him as the latest act to join their robust roster which also includes Njerae.
On the record, the two mull over a toxic relationship. Ish , who is known for his tough persona and carrying a profile of a rapper that does not speak about love enough upholds that quality on the record. In contrast, Njerae has conjured a career for singing soulful melodies with heartfelt messages that orbit around relationships. Ish gloats about having success, ruminates about the perks his talent affords him with ladies, among other interesting touchpoints such as his vulnerability to open up about how his lifestyle does not allow him to be in a committed relationship.
On the other hand, Njerae emphasizes about how much she is a lover-girl and would prefer a faithful and monogamous relationship albeit she keeps getting men that want the opposite. The record is a testament to amazing songwriting and the depths of relationships in today’s world.
“Music is about connection. The link up happened naturally through respect for each other’s craft, and when we got in the vibe, the song just created itself” Ish mentioned.
The song is produced by his longtime collaborator Valentine Sparks from Trappish Music.
“The inspiration came from the emotions you go through in a toxic relationship where love and pain are mixed together. It’s about those moments when you know something isn’t good for you, but your heart still holds on. We wanted to capture that honesty in the music so anyone who’s been through it can feel understood” Ish continues.
The song will premiere on 5th September with an accompanying music video shot by Kenyan visual storyteller , King Khassidy.
