Tag: Ruggedman

Ruggedman, a seasoned rapper, talks about the betrayal he felt when he introduced singer 9ice to his ex-wife Toni Payne, even though he wasn’t invited to their wedding.

This was revealed by Ruggedman in an interview with well-known media figure Chude Jideon two years after he and 9ice at loggerheads.

On that fateful Saturday, he recalled getting a phone from 9ice’s ex-wife telling him that it was their wedding day and that her husband had told her not to invite him.

“I introduced 9ice to Toni Payne, but he didn’t extend an invitation to me to attend their wedding.”

“One Saturday morning, I woke up to a call from Toni Payne. She was like, ‘Ahn ahnn! Where are you now?’ I said, ‘Where am I what? I am at home.’ She said they were getting married that day. I asked her why didn’t she tell me and she said she wanted to but 9ice said she shouldn’t tell me.”

It’s worth mentioning that 9ice and Toni Payne parted ways 10 years ago following the singer’s accusation that his wife was involved in an extramarital affair with Ruggedman.

The ensuing drama led to the exchange of diss tracks between 9ice and Ruggedman, with the latter vehemently denying the allegations. However, the music stars reportedly later resolved their differences.

Veteran rapper, Ruggedman, has revealed that he is venturing into skit making as part of his creative portfolio. He shared that many might not know, but he actually started his career as an actor before gaining fame as a rapper. In the past, he played minor roles in a few movies, and now he is eager to embrace acting and skit making once again.

The rapper mentioned that he has created a character called ‘Mazi Kalu,’ an Igbo old man with problems but also attempts to solve them. Ruggedman stated that he has always had a passion for acting, and he has appeared as an extra in several movies, including Francis Agu’s films and Toyin Abraham’s ‘The Ghost and the Tout’ and Jim Iyke’s ‘Bad Comments.’

He expressed his intention to focus on promoting this aspect of his talent, and he has been experimenting with skits as well. He believes that the ‘Mazi Kalu’ character will resonate with the audience and bring humor while also delivering meaningful messages. Ruggedman aims to strike a balance between entertainment and providing valuable life lessons through his acting and skit making endeavors.

Veteran rapper Michael Ugochukwu Steven, better known as Ruggedman, has expressed his concern that contemporary Nigerian music lacks meaningful messages. He believes that many Afrobeats singers prioritize catchy beats over the lyrical content of their songs.

In a recent interview with Hip TV, Ruggedman, also known as Rugged D’Baba, encouraged the new generation of Nigerian artists to incorporate consciousness in their music. He emphasized that not everyone should follow the same path and that diversity in music is essential. Those who want to create conscious music with meaningful messages have the opportunity to inspire others who focus on danceable beats.

Ruggedman acknowledged the global popularity of Afrobeats, with millions of listeners, including non-Nigerians, enjoying Nigerian music. He urged prominent artists like Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido, Tems, and Rema, to recognize the immense power they hold with their influential platforms. By infusing consciousness, peace, creativity, and positivity into their music, these artists can reach millions of people and make a meaningful impact. Ruggedman hopes that these talented artists will consider using their popularity to spread important messages through their songs, even as they continue to entertain with dancing and Amapiano tunes.

Ruggedman has a few words on the Nigeria rapper turning to singer.

The veteran rapper Ruggedman revealed the reasons why some of these rappers leave rap songs to do more commercially accepted song is because of the trend of music currently getting acceptance and recognition in Nigeria.

He said some of these artistes need to survive by dropping rap songs which people do not really listen to anymore and which the radio stations do not even play as much as before to do songs that music fans can relate easily with.

He said this while being interviewed by Punch Newspaper. “Right now, rap music is struggling because everybody is singing. I don’t blame rappers who are now singing because it is what the people want. Radio stations would rather play more of singing tracks than rap songs.

“The hip hop culture is not very strong. Have you ever heard of a rap show in the country? Most companies that sponsor shows want artistes who are the raves of the moment, and most times, they are singers,” he said.

Ruggedman was a major music name in Nigeria in the early 2000s, but like the popular saying, “nothing lasts forever,” baba is passed his music glory days. But he remains a rap icon.