September 2, 2026, marks five years since the passing of Joshua Tuyishime, better known as Jay Polly, one of the defining voices in Rwandan hip-hop.
Five years after his death, Jay Polly remains deeply remembered by Rwanda’s music community and the fans who followed his career.
The rapper, who died at the age of 33 in 2021, helped shape a generation of Rwandan hip-hop through his work with Tuff Gang and his successful solo career.
Alongside fellow artists including Bull Dogg, Fireman, Green P and P-Fla, Jay Polly became part of a movement that brought raw rap, street stories and social commentary to a much wider audience.
His individual career reached another major milestone in 2014, when he won Primus Guma Guma Super Star Season 4, further cementing his place among Rwanda’s most influential musicians.
Five years on, his music continues to bring back memories for fans. Songs such as “Ndacyariho,” “Akanyarirajisho,” “Umupfumu Uzwi” and his collaboration with Miss Jojo, “Icyizere,” remain part of the conversation around his musical legacy.
On the fifth anniversary of his passing, tributes have once again filled social media as fans, fellow artists and those close to him remember the rapper and the mark he left on Rwanda’s music industry.
Jay Polly may have left the stage five years ago, but his voice continues to echo through Rwandan hip-hop.
