British rapper who appeared in music videos for Sam Smith and Mary J Blige vanishes in Brazil as his social media accounts are mysteriously deleted

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Brazilian police are examining security camera images in the hunt for a British rapper, known as Kenny Vulcan, who mysteriously disappeared last Friday after leaving a recording studio in Rio de Janeiro.

Shortly after he vanished friends of the 22-year-old Londoner, whose real name is Kenny Mukendi, reported his social media accounts had been deleted and his phone was switched off.

The rapper's baffling disappearance was registered with police on Saturday by worried girlfriend, Renata Lima, 20, after he failed to return home and didn't contact any other friends in Brazil or family in the UK.

According to Ms Lima, her boyfriend, who is known on London's underground music scene as an up and coming hip hop artist, has been in Brazil since December. He was reportedly planning to launch a music career in Brazil and was planning to apply for a work permit to stay in the country.

Renata Lima (left) reported Kenny Vulcan (right) missing in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday morning

Kenny was last seen at a recording studio in the famous Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro in the south of the country

The musician took his passport and two mobile phones with him to OdKill recording studios in Barra da Tijuca last Thursday. All his personal belongings are still in the flat shared with his university student girlfriend.

'We're really worried about where Kenny is. He doesn't speak Portuguese, he's left his computer with me and all his clothes and shoes. He has no reason to disappear and he wouldn't leave without telling me where he was going,' said an anxious Ms Lima who was the last person to speak to the musician.

'He went to a recording studio on Thursday and stayed overnight working on some songs with a couple other rappers. On Friday morning we spoke on WhatsApp as normal. There was no suggestion there was anything wrong and he didn't say he wasn't coming home so I expected him back later that day,' she continued.

According to Ms Lima, who has been dating the rapper for three months, she fell asleep after chatting to her boyfriend around 1pm. Upon waking several hours later after 5pm, she received a message notifying her Mr Mukendi's Instagram had been deactivated.

'I got scared and tried to get in touch with him another way, but his phones weren't working. His international cellular had run out of battery on Thursday and his Brazilian phone was switched off. I sent WhatsApp messages asking where he was, but he didn't respond,' she said.

'I tried reaching him through his Facebook but that was also offline.'

Ms Lima said she contacted OdKill Records and was told by the musicians, who haven't been named, the Brit had left while they were asleep 'after a long overnight session' and they didn't know what time he had gone and what direction he had headed in.

Close friend, Tony Mariano, also a musician, who recorded a music video with the hip hop singer in January said he's puzzled by the artist's disappearance.

Mr Mariano said: '(Kenny's) a really nice guy. He was peaceful, not worried about the violence here and had no problems with anyone. He was really happy, loved it here and wanted to stay in Brazil. In fact, he was looking for a job in the music industry because he didn't want to go back to the UK.'

After visiting OdKill Records and confirming the disappearance, Ms Lima reported her concerns to police on Saturday.

The rapper had achieved widespread commercial success in the UK - featuring in music videos for some household names

Friends of the rapper reported that several of his social media accounts had been mysteriously deleted following his disappearance

From there, the investigation was taken up by Rio's missing person's department (DDPA).

Mr Mukendi was last seen wearing a Flamengo football shirt, black trousers, white Nike sneakers and a baseball cap.

The rapper speaks little Portuguese, is Albino, measures about six feet, and sports dyed blue hair. A video of his girlfriend colouring his hair was shared on Facebook in a bid to help identify and find the missing traveller.

According to Renata, the Brit was using a tourist visa, but intended to apply for a work permit. The rapper's intention, according to his girlfriend, was to stay in the country.

In a statement the DDPA said: 'We have already taken statements from witnesses and we are analysing security camera images of the areas near the site where the Londoner disappeared.'

Ms Lima said she is in constant contact with Mr Mukendi's family and they are being kept up to date with the investigation.   

Rais Bono Mapianda, 27, speaking on behalf of the family said (to FocusOn News): 'We found out Kenny was missing on Friday when Renata, his girlfriend contacted us.

Kenny had been in Brazil on a tourist visa but was so taken with the country he had decided to organise a full work permit

Girlfriend Renata shared her final messages with Kenny online which show her worried reaction to the deletion of his Instagram account

'It soon became apparent that something had gone horribly wrong when by Monday we hadn't heard anything from him.

'Kenny is not the sort of person to pull a stunt like this because he knows his mum and dad would be worried sick. He is a sensible and responsible lad and the eldest of three sons.

'He spoke to his mum last Thursday to say all was ok. I spoke to him on 8 April because he is meant to be coming to my wedding in Mozambique in July.

'Kenny was studying performing arts in the Barbican, but last year he decided he wanted to push his hip hop career to a different level. He didn't want to be just an underground artist. He wanted to make an international name for himself and because he had contacts in Brazil from the church he went to he decided to try his luck in Rio.

'We thought it was a good move. He was doing really well and featuring in music videos in Rio and getting into recording studios.

'He was on Universal Records (Brazil) radar and had set up a meeting with A&R managers to chat about a possible future with them so he had a lot to look forward to.

'We contacted the Foreign Office in London on Monday and they in turn called the embassy in Brazil.

'Interpol is involved because we reported Kenny missing to the Metropolitan police on the same day.

'We are frantic with worry and hoping he will turn up soon unharmed. We can't understand why his social media accounts have been deleted.'

According to Mr Mapianda, a Maintenance Manager for a London-based real estate company, his cousin had a promising future and has appeared as an extra in a wealth of videos including those for Mary J Blige, Fat Boy Slim and Sam Smith and Lethal Bizzle. 

Rio's missing person's department has now taken on the case and is in contact with Kenny's family in Britain