Ugandan Hip-hop Excels Only When I Am Around, Says GNL

GNL Zamba has never been one to shy away from bold statements, and his latest reaffirmation is no different.

The rapper, who many credit with popularizing Lugaflow (Luganda rap) in Uganda, is doubling down on his self-proclaimed title as the King of Ugandan hip-hop.

In a recent media interview, GNL was asked whether he still believes he holds that crown. His answer? Unapologetically confident.

“Is the Pope Catholic? What is the color of grass? It is green. Now, who is the king of hip-hop? GNL. These are obvious things,” he said with a laugh.

While Hip Hop is a genre where self-confidence and bragging rights are part of the culture, not everyone in the industry has taken his declaration lightly.

Some players have questioned his relevance in the current musical landscape, especially after his near-decade absence from the local scene while living and working in the U.S.

GNL, however, argues that the numbers, influence, and history speak for themselves.

“If you look at the trajectory of hip-hop in Uganda as a graph, it only excels when GNL is around,” he explained.

“I went away for almost 10 years, and hip-hop fell. I came back and saw hip-hop in a very sorry state.”

Now that he is back in the country and releasing new material, he believes his presence is already reviving the genre.

“Hip-hop is starting to breathe again, walk around, and jump, and now other people are also saying they do hip-hop,” he said, pointing to a resurgence of interest in the genre.

To his credit, GNL did acknowledge that he is not the only artiste who has contributed to the growth of hip-hop in Uganda, but his impact is the most significant.

“If hip-hop is a car, some people are tires. Some people are windshields. Some people are the body, but I am the engine,” he said.