How a Breakup Helped An-known Find His Voice in Soul and R&B

If you are looking to enjoy soul-stirring Ugandan music, then An-known Prosper, whose real name is Dalton Ntege, should definitely be on your playlist.

The soft-voiced singer is best known for his beautiful vocals and emotional delivery in R&B music.

Surprisingly, however, his musical roots trace back to a completely different genre: Hip Hop and rap.

In an interview, An-known revealed that Hip Hop was his first love, and beyond just listening to the genre, he also wrote and performed it, continuing to do so to this day.

Interestingly, he used to write more rap songs than any other genre, and the R&B music he wrote was originally intended for other artistes, not for himself.

His shift into soul and R&B was triggered by a personal relationship. At the time, he had written the song “Doctor” that he intended to sell.

However, as his relationship with his then-girlfriend grew more emotional and intense, he felt the urge to express his feelings personally through music.

That decision led him to keep some of the songs and sing them himself.

His first R&B song, “Doctor,” was deeply personal and, according to him, even helped save the relationship for about two weeks.

When things eventually fell apart again, he channeled his pain into more music, writing “Tonelabira,” which was later followed by “Mutima.”

An-known revealed that all three songs were inspired by the emotional rollercoaster he experienced during that relationship.