“The many things I am doing to stay relevant” – Veteran Rapper, Ruggedman

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From pioneering Nigerian rap to skits, radio, fashion, social advocacy, YouTube and AI, Ruggedman is refusing to become a nostalgic name. In this revealing conversation with City People Showbiz Reporter Emmanuel Daniji, the veteran rapper opens up on his survival strategy, adapting to a new generation, why today’s artistes have it easier, his thoughts on AI, his unreleased music vault and what fans should expect from him on his birthday.

For more than two decades, Ruggedman has remained one of the names that cannot easily be removed from the Nigerian entertainment conversation. At a time when many of the artistes who came into the industry around the same period have either disappeared from the spotlight or taken a completely different path, Ruggedman continues to reinvent himself.

The rapper, whose bold and often confrontational style helped establish him as one of the voices of Nigerian hip-hop, has refused to allow nostalgia to become his biggest selling point. From music to fashion, acting, skits, radio, YouTube, events and social advocacy, he has continued to explore different sides of his creativity.

Interestingly, Ruggedman is also embracing artificial intelligence, particularly in visual content, while still maintaining that the human element must remain at the heart of creativity. He is equally preparing to release a new EP on September 20, 2026, his birthday.

In this interview, Ruggedman speaks candidly about what it takes to remain relevant in an industry that keeps changing, why he believes younger artistes have it easier, the pressure to become a content creator, AI-generated music and voice cloning, and why the Ruggedman of today is still very much the same outspoken entertainer who started the journey.

 Ruggedman, you’ve been around for a very long time, and somehow you’ve managed to stay in the conversation. What have you been doing differently that has kept you relevant?

Staying relevant for over two decades in an industry as fast-moving as Nigerian music isn’t an accident. It’s a deliberate strategy. Sound evolves, and if you don’t evolve with it, you get left behind.

While the production and delivery style I use today match current Afrobeats and hip-hop trends, my core identity, the bold and direct lyricism that defined songs like “Ehen” and “Baraje,” remains unchanged.

Longevity in entertainment requires diversifying your portfolio. I moved into fashion with the TSW, Twentieth September Wears, clothing line. I produce media content like skits and my YouTube series, “Steve Pays The Bills,” on my Officialruggedman YouTube channel. I have organised events like the Rugged Premier League and The Foundation Concert. I also have a live radio show, and I have continued to advocate for social justice, especially against police brutality.

All these things have kept me connected to everyday cultural conversations beyond radio airplay.

When it comes to music, instead of fighting the younger generation or saying “our era was better,” I actively collaborate with and support rising talent. Staying tapped into what young artists are doing keeps my ear tuned to the street and keeps the brand fresh.

Today, visibility extends far beyond dropping albums. Consistently engaging on social media, participating in societal issues and staying active in community building ensures your name stays on people’s lips across generations.

At the end of the day, music opens the door, but versatility and adaptability are what keep you in the room.

We’ve seen you do music, skits and different things online in recent years. Was this something you deliberately planned, or did you just find yourself trying out new things?

I never really planned to act, but I’ve always loved movies and stayed open to new experiences.

Before the world knew me as Ruggedman and before I even dropped an official single, I was actually an extra in two movies by the late Francis Agu.

Francis and I lived in the same Akoka neighbourhood. I woke up one morning thinking, “What haven’t I tried yet?” Acting was one of the things that came to mind.

Unbelievably, as soon as I stepped outside, I saw Francis leaving his house. I walked straight up to him and told him I wanted to act. He told me about an audition for his new movie, “Devil’s Disciple,” and invited me to come through.

At the audition, I found myself in the same room as stars like Clem Ohameze, Jumai Joseph and Tony Umez. I ended up getting cast as an extra, and that’s how my acting journey quietly began.

So, I have always been open to trying different things.

Your skits have actually surprised a lot of people because many people know you mainly as a rapper. Where did that side of Ruggedman come from?

If you ask my close friends, they’ll tell you I have always been funny, animated and full of life.

I grew up on a steady diet of comics, cartoons, comedy and all those things, and that energy never left me. The funny side of Ruggedman people are seeing in skits today is not something new. It has always been part of who I am.

Music just happened to take centre stage first.

Do you think artistes today have to be content creators as well if they want to survive in the industry?

Artists shouldn’t feel forced to become content creators if that isn’t their natural skill set or comfort zone.

Content creation should be a tool to amplify an artist’s craft, not a desperate requirement for survival. Unfortunately, the music industry has shifted to the point where content creation is treated as the primary strategy for promotion.

My advice is simple: an artist should only go into content creation if they are genuinely good at it and it feels authentic to them.

You came into the industry at a time when things were very different. There were no TikTok, Instagram or streaming platforms. How difficult was it for you to adjust to this new entertainment landscape?

Starting out in an era before social media meant adapting was crucial. Fortunately, I was an early internet user and a fast learner, so I made that transition effortlessly.

Staying relevant isn’t a struggle when you’re open to learning. I easily connect with the new generation and continuously evolve alongside the changing entertainment landscape.

Like I said in my track “Baraje,” “I blend with the trend, stay forever like culture.” You better make a move because I dey watch you like vulture.

Do you ever look at some of the younger artistes and feel like, “These guys have it much easier than we did”?

Of course! I look at the new generation and say they have it easier than we did because it’s the truth! (Laughs)

That’s not to downplay their own struggles, but it’s nowhere near the hurdle we had to clear just to make and promote music.

Back then, securing studio time was an achievement in itself because of the lack of funds. A standard session was strictly eight hours. Once your time elapsed, the work stopped regardless of your progress.

Production was gruelling and painfully slow. To make matters worse, Alaba marketers and bootleggers made far more money than the actual artists.

Compare that to today, where an entire recording studio can fit inside a backpack and can be set up anywhere. Thanks to modern software, you can mix and master right on your laptop and upload your track to hundreds of streaming platforms directly from your phone in the comfort of your own home.

Distribution and visibility are a hundred times better now, and to top it off, corporate sponsors are actually pumping real money into the industry.

At the same time, is there anything you see young artistes doing today that you wish your generation had done differently?

There’s nothing I see them doing that I wish we had done differently.

It’s two different times, and if we hadn’t done what we did, a lot of them today would not be here.

Musically, are you still recording and working on new material, or are we beginning to see a different chapter of Ruggedman?

I’m still in the studio creating.

I’ve built up a large vault of unreleased material, including plenty of songs from when I first started experimenting with Afrobeats.

I have collaborations with artists like Magnito, M’Kido, Moonlight Afriqa and Iyabo Ojo, to name a few.

None of it is going to waste, so yes, new music from Ruggedman is definitely on the way.

Mark your calendars. A new EP drops on my birthday, September 20th, 2026.

One thing I find interesting about you is that you don’t seem to be desperate to follow every trend. How do you decide which trends to jump on and which ones to leave alone?

I have always been a man with a strong will.

If you chase every single trend, people get tired of you fast. I only jump on what intrigues me. Things that actually carry weight, like Nasboi’s “Hunger Dey” challenge.

And even if a trend is about something completely different, I bend it to my own narrative.

Look at what I did with Kizz Daniel’s “Fvck You” challenge. The original topic was about relationships, but I turned it into a conversation about police brutality between an officer and a motorist.

That message hit home for millions, and many tagged it as the best. It had entertainers from different parts of the world talking in my comments section.

Let’s talk about AI. It is becoming a big part of music now, from making beats to writing songs and even cloning artistes’ voices. Have you personally started using AI in your work?

Like it or not, AI is the next frontier in content creation. You either adapt and leverage it, or get left behind.

I don’t use AI to write or perform my music, but I’ve embraced it to create visually stunning music videos.

Working with @graphics_messiah, who I consider the top AI creator in Africa, we produced “Ruggedman – My Life (The Movie),” which is now live on my official YouTube channel, Officialruggedman.

AI is a multiplier for creative people.

In music production, I feel it can work best as a launching pad for songwriting and beat concepts. The key is taking those AI-generated foundations and recreating them with real instruments and human emotion. You have to add your own personal and cultural identity.

I laugh at those who want to downplay AI in music. How are you okay with Auto-Tune and pitch correctors but not AI?

Do you think AI will make life easier for artistes, or are you worried that it could eventually take away some of the jobs creatives depend on?

Yes, AI will make life easier for artists at the creation level.

I do not know about taking away jobs because, for you to use AI, you still have to be a genuine creative and know the right inputs to use.

One disadvantage is that it might make some creatives lazy. It will also help people without musical talent create music, but they will meet their Waterloo when it comes to stage and live performances.

That is where you cannot fake certain things.

Imagine somebody uses AI to clone Ruggedman’s voice and releases a song without your permission. How would you feel about that?

Obviously, I won’t like it.

But if he doesn’t use my name, he’ll simply be known as “the guy who sounds like Ruggedman.” It will show the artist is not big on originality.

If my name is used, I will notify the distribution company and the music will be removed.

It is that simple.

Do you think Nigerian artistes are taking enough advantage of AI and technology, or are we still largely watching from the sidelines?

A lot are not taking advantage of AI, but I believe in due course they will.

Technology is not going anywhere, so eventually more artists will understand how to use it to their advantage.

After everything you’ve seen in Nigerian entertainment, what do you think an upcoming artiste needs to understand today that nobody told artistes when you started?

Modern entertainment has become 80 per cent promotion.

In my day, it was about the love of the craft. Now, whether the music is brilliant or terrible, it’s all about how much money you can pump into a marketing campaign.

With enough cash, almost anything can be pushed to go viral.

This creates some baffling scenarios. You’ll see an artist’s song dominating a streaming chart, but you never actually hear it on the radio.

Or a song might land in the Top 5 one week, only to completely vanish the next.

We used to see a song naturally climb and descend the charts, but that organic lifecycle is now a thing of the past.

Upcoming artists need to understand that talent is important, but understanding promotion, branding, business and technology is also very important today.

Finally, when you look at Ruggedman today compared with the Ruggedman who first came into the industry, what has changed the most about you?

Apart from maturity, nothing much has changed.

I am still the same outspoken, energetic, amazingly creative performer who loves entertainment and wants to keep reinventing himself.

That’s why you see me dropping EPs, producing my YouTube series “Steve Pays The Bills,” hosting a live radio show, “Wetin Dey With Ruggedman,” every Thursday on Naija 102.7 FM and doing more.

I still speak for shoemakers, mechanics and the masses.

So, nothing much has changed.

Just follow me on Instagram and X: @ruggedybaba.

TikTok: @iamruggedman.

Facebook: Ruggedman Ruggedybaba New.

YouTube: Officialruggedman.