Biography

Emery Gatsinzi, better known by his stage name Riderman, is a Rwandan hip hop recording artist, songwriter and music producer. The artist has released seven full-length studio albums and one mix tape as of 2016 under his label Ibisumizi in partnership with his producers, T. Brown, First Boy and Fazzo.

Gatsinzi was born in 1987 to father Etiènne Rukwavu and mother Peruth Kantetere. He was the first of five children born into the devout Christian family. His mother and sister both were gospel singers and Gatsinzi would commonly join them in singing gospel and praying before sleeping.

He enjoyed music and poetry writing from an early age, and after attending a Lucky Dube concert at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali he was inspired to combine these talents to begin performing as a hip-hop artist and actually he is Rwanda's best hip hop artist based on what he has done over the years.

Gatsinzi formed his first group, UTP, in 2006. Afterward he formed a band called Soldier with two other teenage boys, performing as the group's lead singer before embarking on an independent career and releasing his first solo album on 28 December 2009. In late 2018, Gatsinzi released "Ikinyarwanda" which featured Bruce Melody.

In 2008, Riderman won his first Salax Award as the best Hip hop Artist in Rwanda. In 2010 his album won best album of in the year in Salax, in 2011 and 2013 Riderman won the Salax Award - the Rwandan equivalent of the Grammy-like pan-African Kora Awards - for Best Rapper.

In August 2013 he won the first place prize of 24 million Rwandan Francs ($30k) in Primus Guma Guma Super Star, an annual televised talent competition organized by Rwanda's largest brewing company.