Billnass Biography: Age, Wife, Songs and Hip-Hop Career

Billnass is a Tanzanian rapper, songwriter and entrepreneur who has helped keep hip-hop central to the melodic world of Bongo Flava. Born William Nicholaus Lyimo in Tanga, he performs with the confidence of a battle-ready MC but writes for a broad Swahili-speaking audience, moving between punchlines, romance and dance-floor rhythm.

He shares career updates through his official X profile. From the early single “Raha” and a 2017 Coke Studio Africa appearance to “Puuh,” the Chuo kwa Chuo campus project and 2026 releases “Division One” and “Hallo,” his career shows how a Tanzanian rapper can protect lyrical identity while working comfortably with singers.

Nenga’s Artistic Craft: Swahili Rap Inside Bongo Flava

Billnass’s artistic identity begins with rap, even when the surrounding record is melodic. His verses use conversational Kiswahili, internal rhyme, comic turns and confident self-presentation. The nickname Nenga has become a second persona within that work: less a separate character than a shorthand for his competitive MC energy.

That position matters in Tanzania, where Bongo Flava has always allowed rap, R&B, dance music and local storytelling to overlap. Billnass can attack a stripped-back freestyle, then appear beside a singer without making the collaboration feel like a retreat from hip-hop. “Mazoea” with MwanaFA and “Utaonaje” with Rayvanny foreground rap dialogue; “Deka” with Marioo and “Boda” with Mbosso place his cadence against smoother hooks.

The best-known example is “Puuh” with Jay Melody. Shazam’s official song record credits Billnass as performer and William Lymo as composer, with S2Kizzy producing. The track’s appeal came from balance: an immediately singable refrain, romantic writing and verses that remained recognisably his. That combination helped him reach pop listeners without erasing the rapper underneath.

XTRAfrica’s live Billnass songs page now gathers the newer catalogue under an irregular trailing-hyphen URL. The address is important for editors because it is the existing Wix music route, not a slug to be corrected.

Chagga Heritage and Tanzanian Identity

Tanzania’s National Arts Council gives the clearest identity record. The official BASATA artist profile identifies him as William Nicholaus Lyimo, born on 11 April 1993 at Bombo Hospital in Tanga. He is 33 years old as of 13 August 2026. BASATA also describes his family roots as Chagga and connected to Kilimanjaro Region.