Rwanda: Kivumbi King Admits Hip-Hop Award Controversy 'Understandable'

By Tonny Mwiseneza

Musician Kivumbi King has said he understands -- and partly agrees with -- the criticism from fellow artistes regarding his Hip-Hop Artist of the Year win at the 2025 Isango na Muzika Awards.

The singer made the comments during an interview on The Choice Live show, aired on Isibo TV, acknowledging that concerns raised by rappers over the selection criteria were valid. Some artistes argued that Bruce The 1st was more deserving of the accolade.

ALSO READ: Rappers slam Isango na Muzika Awards over unfair treatment

Following the awards ceremony in December 2025, Bull Dogg and Kenny K-Shot questioned how Kivumbi King won the Best Hip-Hop Artist award without releasing a hip-hop body of work during the eligibility period.

Bull Dogg said he did not understand how an artiste could claim the hip-hop honour without putting out a hip-hop project or track throughout the year, sparking debate within the local music industry about genre classification and award criteria.

"Even Kivumbi himself knows he got an award he doesn't deserve. This is not about hate; it's about respecting the culture and the work that was done," Bull Dogg said.

Asked to comment on Bulldogg's frustration, Kivumbi King said, "I understand what my big brother meant, and I agree with him. I also know he didn't say it with a bad heart."

"I can't exclude myself from hip-hop because I have rapped before and I still plan to release more hip-hop projects," he explained, saying that "the confusion might be coming from the fact that I make different genres of music."

However, he maintained that while the concerns may be valid, the award decision has already been made.

"But again, the award is already mine, and it's not going anywhere," he added.

Read the original article on New Times.

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