Montiyago is Creating His Own Reference for Sudanese Rap

Unlike the rest of his generation, who listened to local pop music, Sudanese rapper Montiyago was influenced by foreign rap. “Growing up, my generation didn’t listen to rap. They listened to Sudanese pop [artists] like Mahmoud Abdelaziz and Mohammed Wardi,” he tells OkayAfrica. “But my big brother listened to 50 Cent, Tupac, and Snoop Dog. I was wondering why he was the only one in the country who listened to different music, and that got me interested.” 

Montiyago fell in love with the details of hip hop production — the kicks, the snares, and the melodies — as he discovered Ice Cube, Meek Mill, Lil Wayne, and Eminem. “I really, really liked it,” he remembers. “So I said, ‘yalla, I’ll see if I can do it or not.’” 

And he can. After practicing with “a lot” of beats, he eventually put out “Kalam Kteer” in October 2022. Since then, Montiyago has quickly risen through the ranks of Sudan’s burgeoning rap scene and stepped onto the regional stage; he has become a role model to the youth and is the second-most listened to artist in the GCC.

Montiyago’s Influences

Growing up in Sudan under the oppressive rule of Omar al-Bashir, rap offered a window of self-expression to a young, disenfranchised generation. “You can say whatever you want,” says Montiyago. “It’s more realistic than the other genres, which are kind of limited.”

While there were many rappers in Khartoum before the outbreak of war in April 2023, none of them lived in Montiyago’s neighborhood. He connected with his peers on social media once he felt that he had learned enough to showcase himself. 

Montiyago’s flow is unmistakably Sudanese in its smooth rhythm and effortless delivery. When non-Sudanese Arabic speakers hear him for the first time, they stop and perk their ears at this unfamiliar dialect. But he doesn’t take conscious inspiration from Sudan’s music legacy at all; Montiyago is primarily inspired by US rap.

How did he establish himself so quickly? The release of “Kalam Kteer” coincided with Montiyago’s inkling that his generation of rappers in his home country actually have a chance to make it on their own. “I saw the potential that we can go some places,” he says. 

“I went to Jeddah to give my first concert and thought that I’d just go back to Sudan after. But in Saudi I found that people were saying my name loudly.” 

When his feature on “London” was released on Soulja’s debut album Deja Vu, Montiyago’s career took off to unexpected heights. “I blew up and had mixed feelings, sometimes I thought that what I was doing was good, and sometimes I thought it was bad,” he shares. “I saw kids repeating what I say and wearing what I wear. I felt like ‘I can’t do this, it’s too much responsibility’. But a week later, I would feel like this is my thing and I can’t live without it.”

Montiyago's Vision: Building a Foundation for Sudanese Rap

In a scene as small as Sudan’s, under the difficult circumstances of war and displacement, being a role model is no small task. However, Montiyago is growing into it. His new EP, Morphine, produced by a set of producers he has been exploring his sound with over the past years, is an attempt at situating himself at the beginning of a future vision. 

“We don’t have too many references for rap in Sudan yet,” says Montiyago. “Morphine should be a reference to whoever likes rap music in Sudan, because that’s also how I learned: I found references (and practiced).” He chuckles. “Now I am the reference.”

After a short, futuristic intro on which Montiyago welcomes the amigos and likens music making to waging war, he starts off the EP with “Mozart.” Over an urgent, but soft beat accompanied by wavering synth scapes, he delivers one of his signature non-verbal, but catchy hooks. 

“I wanted ‘Mozart’ to be calm and artistic,” he says. “When you dance, you dance slowly and you’re not hiding.” 

The second track on the EP “KSHF” is a combative track of eerie synth soundscapes and piano chords. “I wrote ‘KSHF’ for the streets,” he says. “The lyrics, visuals, and styling are based on the streets that I came from. It’s the opposite of ‘Mozart.’” 

On “Price,” Montiyago tells the story of the things he wants and his willingness to pay whatever it takes to get them. “I can dream, but every dream has a price,” he says.

The 25-year-old rapper is only in the beginning stages of pursuing his career in a regional industry that continues to marginalize Sudanese artists, while understanding that there is no local industry to fall back on yet. Making up for the lack of infrastructure is the willingness to create something bigger than himself. 

“I want to be a part of building a solid foundation for the next generation. This is chapter one,” he says. The idea of creating a reference holds particular weight in light of the destruction of Sudanese archives, with unimaginable amounts of history and culture lost.

“When I started, I thought that if I wanted to go places, I’d have to whitewash my language. But I didn’t want to do that,” he concludes. “I listen to someone from Compton and understand all his slang. So if people don’t understand what I am saying, they can learn.”

Listen to Morphine on Spotify.