The rising and falling of Jay Polly, a rap gang star

Gone are the days when Jay Polly consistently released big bangers back in the days in 2014. To him, the grasses are no longer green as they used to be…Jay Polly disappeared from industry and no doubt his fans miss him.  Normally in the music world, this period of downs emerges to the artists but the way do they manage it is the only way it gives headlines to newspapers. It’s like the cage out of which artists have to get, and that’s the test anyway.

Many Rwandan artists fail to stick to their spotlight and few manage it. There are plenty of examples of those artists who slowly disappeared from Rwandan music and failed to keep their heads up, but hold on…Let’s talk about the iconic Rwandan rap star, KABAKA a.k.a Jay Polly and the best ones have their next day of discussion.
Let’s look together at the four reasons why Jay Polly stepped backward instead of stepping forwards in his music career since he got all facilities that it requires to get at the top consistently as it was in 2014 in his shining better days.
First things first, where did it all start? Tough Gangs is the answer. Let’s talk about it a bit. Jay Polly was firstly known in a well-known Hip Hop crew, Tough Gangs which he joined around 2008 and it came as a competitor of the other crew that went by the name of INSHUTI Z’IKERERE that sang Crunk that used to rap about self-talks verses which were different from the TG(Tough Gang)’s aim that sang about the hardship of life, the gangster rap emerged ever since that day. This is where Jay Polly became very popular due to their punch lines throughout their rap songs, Rwandans started loving him by the way, almost every Hip Hop lover got inspired by his educative storytelling via his verses.

Throughout the Tough Gang’s music journey, Lick Lick was by their side day to day, he helped them in their daily music struggles, his effective communication with the entertainment journalists was one of his qualities that helped Tough Gangs too, because journalists were the ones to promotes their songs, so, Lick Lick was good at working hand in a hand with the entertainment journalists.
Producer Lick Lick helped them to the extent that rappers started to spit his name in their verses due to the role he played in Rwanda’s Hip Hop development. For instance, The Don Captain Pacson a.k.a the Most wanted one of the icons in Rwandan rap, once said “ Vanishing of Lick Lick will make Pacson disappear, huh?” This shows the significance of Lick Lick in Rwanda’s Hip Hop industry.
Let’s flip to our page…The reasons why Jay Polly slowly disappeared from music

1.Jay Polly had conflicts with media personalities that were the pillars of Rwandan entertainment

In 2012 when stories speculated that Jay Polly could’ve been jailed in Kenya, aired on Flash Fm, Jay Polly announced that all they wanted was views of their stories using his name.
“ All you want is views and trading, Soudy?” Pointing fingers to Ally Soudy who was one of the famous showbiz journalists in Rwanda at the time.
He went on saying “ I will be there and explain to me the way I got prisoned, don’t you even have a mind to think? I’m still in Kigali, you will escape from me nowhere”
He continued saying that Rwandan media only want to destroy what has been achieved instead of following the example of UG(Uganda) and Tanzanian media who help their music industry.
“I don’t know what you blame on me, but I know that what you did to me is punished by law, the only state will make it clear, Ibambe from Inyarwanda.com and Patycope and those young kids you taught to gossip, get ready for me” Jay Polly accusing media of humiliating him.

He concluded by saying that the government has to emphasize enhancing journalism studies to produce professional journalists instead of looking after the illiterate ones.
Not only in Rwanda that artists or musicians specifically have conflicts with media but Rwandan artists fail to manage the situation and make it even worse instead.
By calling journalists illiterate, Jay Polly created a fresh wound to the journalists that will never get healed. In 2013, he did not make it to the list of 11 who had to compete for Primus Guma Guma Super Star(PGGSS) 3, and people exactly thought and connected it with the fact that he insulted journalists as they were the ones to nominate artists who had to participate in the competition.

2. Turning back to those who helped him in his career

After winning the competition of PGGSS 4 in 2014 and got the trophy of 24 million Rwandan francs, Jay Polly disappointed the recording label that helped him to get on the trophy. Touch Entertainment of Mutesa helped him in recording some songs that made him win the competition and ought to have searched the gigs of advertising for him and that could’ve helped him to put his name on the international spotlight contrary to the current situation.

3. Being locked up convicted of beating his wife resulted in her tooth removal

Rwanda is one of the African countries on the top of valuing women and intolerant to those who ever try to abuse woman’s rights. In 2018, Jay Polly pleaded guilty to beating his wife and removing her tooth, Sharifah Uwimbabazi, and got sentenced to one year in prison. After the sentence, he came back in the music though filling the gap was the biggest challenge.

4. Resigning from The Mane Music Label

The Mane Music Label a day to day tried their best to look after Jay Polly while in jail and played some role in his release from Mageragere. After his release, Jay Polly was welcomed by The Mane Music Label under the management of Badrama and its CEO. They celebrated his release from dusk till dawn to the fullest and spent some time in one of Nyarutarama hotels until getting back to normal life after sentence. No sooner had The Mane Music Label done this than Jay Polly thought to leave them.  But we may be simple when we don’t mention that he did a banger with Marina(one of the artists that were being managed by The Mane) while still there immediately after his release. Regardless of all of those, by 2020, on his Instagram account, Jay Polly announced “ To my fans and journalists, I would like to let you know that I am no longer working together with The Mane Music Label due to the inconvenience of the agreement between us” He announced this by the beginning of 2020.

You cannot hesitate to say that he took the chances for granted by leaving the place where other artists dream heading to. All artists wish to be facilitated all their needs in music by having a recording label like the one he had, does it have a role in his disappearance? No cap!
Jay Polly had to release his album by 2019 which he procrastinated to 2020 but the mission failed too, but he promises his fans to release it in 2021’s summer unless it changes. He plans to fly to Nigeria seeking Davido's collaboration as said long ago and he plans to launch his new studio.
Like other Rwandan artists, Jay Polly dreams of getting Rwandan music further but the charity begins at home we all know that he has first to show Rwandans that he is still in the industry.
Artists have to learn how they can manage their fame as a discipline would help them too and try to be more consistent.