By: Erica Raley
With over 15,000 streams amassed on Spotify over the past year, Noeh-lys Ndayishimiye is quickly making his mark on the Ottawa music scene.
Ndayishimiye is a nineteen-year-old rap artist who goes by the creative name NLN.
His newest single “unclear” was released on April 8, 2022. The track has a quick-paced and catchy beat with lyrics that tell a story of a turbulent personal relationship.
With underlying influences from melodic pop music, the simplicity of the vocal melody juxtaposes the weight of Unclear’s central theme: a relationship overwhelmed by pride and ego.
Ndayishimiye stated that initially, he freestyled the first version of Unclear over a beat from popular Tiktok creator Hailey Knox. He received traction from supporting fans after posting his rendition on the platform, and Hailey Knox urged him to record it.
His first take of Unclear was initially about a friendship in which @itsnln felt was controlled by ego. The song was quickly amassed into a relationship in which one party listens only to their pride, rather than the person in front of them.
His goal was to relate to like-minded people and emphasize that we all have pride we must overcome.
This central theme was inspired by his own life, and how he connects with others.
“When it comes to music- I use music as therapy, I use it for myself, ” he said in an interview, “it’s also rewarding to put out lyrics that are 100 per cent true and relate to others.”
In his art as a whole, NLN says he doesn’t look for a specific sound, but rather a feeling. While creating, he says “my mood changes so the vibe changes, but my music is constantly who I am”.
This is undoubtedly true of Unclear, a beautiful melange of feel-good melody and lyrics that make you contemplate.
As a reflection of his experiences in his personal life, Ndayishimiye writes music for people who want to take life seriously and enjoy it all at once.