‘Nigeria’s music scene hurting me’ – Ruger

Afrobeats sensation Michael Adebayo Olayinka, popularly known as Ruger, has voiced his frustration over what he sees as a troubling trend in Nigeria’s music industry: the rise of untalented artists gaining popularity solely through financial muscle and heavy promotion. Taking to his X handle, Ruger lamented that money seems to overshadow skill, with artists becoming famous despite what he called a lack of real talent. 

“The music scene has been hurting me,” he shared, expressing disappointment at how “no matter how bad an artist is, once there’s money for hype, they’ll rise.” Ruger’s words resonate with fans who feel quality is sometimes compromised for the sake of promotion. 

He went further to criticize the overuse of autotune in live performances, a trend he finds unnecessary and deceiving to audiences. “Now, let’s talk about the gaddamn autotunes on the mic when y’all perform. Next time, tell your engineer to shut it down when you’re about to speak, coz you be speaking in Tunez wahalaaaaaa. Well, Ruger don’t need that,” he wrote, taking pride in his ability to perform without vocal enhancement. Ruger’s statements shed light on his commitment to authentic artistry and his hopes for a music scene where genuine talent is prioritized over hype.