Last week’s social media discussions ranged from the upcoming elections in Rwanda, J. Cole’s criticism from hip-hop fans, and updates from the world of sports. Here is a quick run-down of what’s been happening on the socials.
A school teacher with a baby on her back who wants a parliament seat
This past week, a photo of a woman who’s running for a parliamentary seat circulated on social media. The viral-worthy photo showed the lady pulling up on a motorcycle with a baby on her back before she went to hand over her documents to the National Electoral Commission. The secondary school teacher from the Burera district plans to compete for a seat in the parliamentary elections to be held in July of this year.
The presidential candidate who wants to be King
An independent candidate for the 2024 Rwanda elections surprised many when he declared that the first thing he would do if elected the President of the Republic of Rwanda is remove the republic and bring back the monarchy! He reiterated that the removal of the monarchy saddened him so much. Social media users questioned how that is, noting that he was most likely not alive by the abolition of the monarchy in 1959 and wondering if he plans to become King after he changes the constitution. Funny as it is, you have to wonder if the candidate truly meant what he said.
Riderman Riderzo the first rapper in parliament?
This past week, the Rwandan Rapper through his Instagram account jokingly asked his 230 thousand followers if a Rasta man like him could represent the youth in parliament and what changes the youth would like to see made by someone representing them. Although the question had a humorous twist to it, the comments were full of encouragement for the rapper to take that step, many noting that he has the qualities of a leader in addition to being young and relatable.
Comedian, Zuby, wants a parliament seat too!
Renowned comedian Samson Mucyo, popularly known as Sam Zuby, handed in his documents for a chance to run for a parliamentary seat in the upcoming July elections under the youth category. The comedian is part of the Zuby comedy duo that has been in the comedy scene since 2019 and has gained many followers on their YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok accounts. He stresses that Youth represents more than 65 percent of the country’s population and a significant portion of the population strength and that he has a project specifically aimed at tackling unemployment. Although it’s too early to reveal details about it.
The Sports Corner
BAL brings the heat, Stars SHOW OUT! Champs crash-out!
The Basketball Africa League Finals tipped off this Friday, the 24th of May, with its fourth time hosted in Rwanda in an evening of fun. Half-time performances from Adekunle Gold, the Nigerian Afro-pop musician, thrilled those in attendance. The night capped off with a 3-point buzzer-beater as US Monastir took down Petro de Luanda.
The knock-out rounds continued as reigning champions Al Ahly SC crashed out in Sunday’s first Quarterfinals against Libya’s Al Ahly Ly, the reigning champions saw their dream to become the first BAL team to win back-to-back titles dashed by a team they had beaten twice already this season during the Nile Conference in Cairo.
Celebrities in attendance on Sunday included Bien-Aimé Baraza, former member of the boyband Sauti Sol, where he was seen chilling with Adekunle Gold with rumors going around that a collaboration between the two artists are in the making, and other celebrities in attendance included rapper Kivumbi King, Coach Gael of 1:55 am, and Kenyan Netflix star Manasseh K. Nyagah.
The second match was even more mind-blowing as the Cape Town Tigers pulled off the biggest upset of the 2024 BAL season so far by beating FUS Rabat 91-88 in overtime on Sunday night to send them packing. The 8th-seeded South African side entered this game as clear underdogs facing the 1st-seed Moroccan champions. They managed to eliminate FUS Rabat after Samkelo Cele sent the game to overtime with two seconds to go.
NBA Playoffs reach climax!
The NBA Playoffs are nearing the Finals with the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks being both up 3-0 in their respective conferences. The Celtics are up in the Eastern Conference finals after dramatic endings in games 1 and 3 against the Pacers, and the Mavericks lead their series after many pundits and basketball analysts picked the Minnesota Timberwolves to eliminate them, the highly anticipated NBA Finals start June 6th.
UNITED Wins the FA Cup!
Manchester United fans came out of the weekend with a smile after clinching the FA Cup in Saturday’s encounter with Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in London, the highly charged encounter between both Manchester sides ended with a defeat for the English champions after claiming their fourth consecutive Premier League trophy, United fans let out a sigh of relief after their team had ended the season in 8th position with a possibility of missing out on European football next season, the young duo of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobie Mainoo made sure that Manchester United will be competing in the Uefa Europa League next season.
Music
J. Cole can’t catch a break for his bars on… Grippy?
J. Cole is catching heat for his verse on Cash Cobaine’s new single “Grippy”. The song, which came out on Friday, left hip-hop fans scratching their heads as they took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their disappointment with Cole’s effort and claimed it might be one of the worst verses of 2024. The verse in question has the rapper rizzing up a gay woman. Claiming his skills will turn her straight, “She said she was gay until I slayed, now she strictly dickly,” Cole raps.
“As one of J. Cole’s biggest fans, I thought we were done with these types of bars,” one person tweeted. Another said, “Holy shit that j cole feature is so bad.” Someone else called out J. Cole’s age and claimed he’s too old to be rapping in that manner, saying, “J. Cole is just making fully sure he’s no longer in the Big 3 conversation 39 years old btw.” Cole’s appearance on Grippy is his first since he apologized for his Kendrick diss “7-minute drill” and excused himself from the rap beef which caused a mixed reaction then too.
Police take U-turn after online backlash
On Sunday afternoon, the National Police of Rwanda released an announcement on X announcing that on Monday morning from 8:30 am to 11:30 am all the motorcycle operators in the City of Kigali had a meeting at Pele stadium in Nyamirambo. The announcement caused an uproar on social media with many questioning the decision to conduct such a meeting in the rush hours of the morning when the majority of people heading to work use motorcycles as the primary source of transport. The comments from concerned citizens seemed to have an effect.
At around 10 pm, another announcement was released informing the public and motorcycle operators that the planned meeting had been changed, and commuting would continue as usual.
