Ruger (23) has been blazing a trail for himself in the Afrobeats game. Making his musical debut in the form of EP, “Pandemic”, the young artist has been making waves and shaking the table ever since then. Nigeria is the place he calls home, and there’s clearly something in the soil over there, as it has given birth to some of the greatest Afrobeats talent like Burna Boy, Davido, and now – Ruger.
But what sets Ruger apart from the rest? Well, it’s simple – he’s fresh meat. Firmly within Gen Z, Ruger is able to tap into the phenomena that captivates our youth – take red flags, for example. Ruger’s new single is a sardonic take on red flags, and how we might jump through hoops to justify overlooking them. Coupled with an equally vibey music video, Ruger goes through a revolving door of interchangeable girls – who at one point all lament, “Ru baby this ain’t you. You’re not the sweet guy I once knew.” Suffice to say, we’ve all been there.
At the same time, the nascent Afrobeats artist unveiled “Asiwaju”. It hooks you with a repeated beat, which then bursts into pure chillness. Earworm guitar melodies and toe-tapping syncopated drums underpin Ruger’s cascading flow – and all together makes for a track that we can’t stop hitting replay on. These two releases are without a doubt fuel to the already blazing fire, and we had the pleasure of sitting down with Ruger to get some insight into his artistic process, and whether or not he’s the real red flag, via Wonderland
