Michael Adebayo Olayinka (born September 23, 1999) is a prominent Afrobeats artist who performs under the stage name Ruger. He is a singer and composer who is now signed with Jonzing World Entertainment.
He rose to national popularity in 2021 after being announced as Jonzing World’s latest signee. He released his debut EP, Pandemic, on March 4th, 2021.
He released his sophomore EP, The Second Wave, on November 26th, 2021. In June 2022, he launched his third music project, The Second Wave Deluxe.
Ruger was born and raised in Lagos and is a member of Nigeria’s Yoruba tribe. He first gained attention on January 18, 2020, when he was introduced as the newly signed artist to D’Prince’s Jonzing World Records. Jonzing World, which is linked with Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records, also features Rema and Ozedikus.
Ruger Biography Early Life
Michael Adebayo Olayinka was born on September 23, 1999, in Lagos, where he was also nurtured. He is originally from the Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria.
His parents named him Michael Adebayo Olayinka. His native name is “Adebayo.” He is of Yoruba descent and a native of a Southwestern state.
He was born and raised in Lagos State and resided with his family. He comes from a Christian family and usually attends church with his parents. In church, he found and began to express his musical aptitude. As a teenager, he joined his church’s choir to use his musical skills for God.
Over the years, he developed into an amazing vocalist capable of composing gospel music. He was also a part of the school’s music band. This allowed him to swiftly strengthen his singing and composition skills. He and his bandmates performed at school gatherings and represented the school at various events.
The young man grew up in Lagos, the country’s former metropolis. He was exposed to several musical genres from an early age, which inspired him to develop an interest in art. This was not odd given that his family enjoyed music.
Ruger’s musical influences growing up included Bob Marley, Rihanna, Boyz II Men, Beyonce, R. Kelly, and 2Baba. Thus, he decided to become a musician, and his family backed him. He is the only son in his family.
Education
Ruger received his First School Leaving Certificate and West African School Certificate from prominent primary and secondary schools in Lagos.
He is currently an undergraduate at a prestigious university in southwest Nigeria.
Career
D’Prince discovered Olayinka and gave him the name “Ruger.” His debut song received 70 million views in three days. In January 2021, D’Prince confirmed Ruger’s signing to Jonzing World and Sony Music Entertainment UK in a joint venture with Columbia Records.
In January 2021, he released the single “One Shirt” with Rema. In February 2021, he released the track “Ruger” from his debut EP, PANDEMIC.
“Bounce” became a smash for Pandemic, debuting at number 39 on the Nigerian best 50 chart, number 20 on the TurnTable End of the Year chart, and number 2 on Apple Music’s best Afrobeats songs. On November 26, 2021, he released his second EP, The Second Wave, with “Dior” as the lead song, which debuted at number 32 on the Top 50 list and number 15 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart.
On November 19, 2021, he released his second EP, The Second Wave, produced by Kukbeatz. The song “Dior” peaked at number 32 on the Top 50 list and 15 on the UK Afrobeats Singles list. The 2021 AFRIMMA (African Muzik Magazine Awards) has nominated RUGER for Best Newcomer.
Ruger has been nominated for Best Artist, Duo, or Group in African Reggae, Ragga, or Dancehall at the 2021 AFRIMA (All Africa Music Awards) as well as Most Promising African Artist of the Year. Ruger launched the hit track “Asiwaju” in November 2022, and it peaked at number one on Nigeria’s Apple Music list for a record-breaking one month. As of May 2024, the tune had over 100 million Spotify streams.
Ruger won Best New Artist at the Soundcity MVP Awards, which took place at Lagos’ Eko Convention Centre in February 2023. Ruger’s debut album, Ru the World, was published in September of 2023.
Ruger and Bnxn collaborated on the R&B mixtape, which was published in April 2024. The mixtape’s lead track, Romeo Must Die, debuted at number eleven on the Billboard Afrobeat chart.
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Discography
- Bounce
- Abu Dhabi
- Bow
- Yekpa
- Monalisa
- Ruger
- Lock Down
- Pandemic (EP)
- Girlfriend
- The Second Wave (EP)
- Champion
- Warning
- WeWe
- Useless
- Dior
- SnapChat
- Ru The World (Album)
Is Ruger married? Personal Life
Ruger is in his early 20s. He resides in an affluent suburb of Lekki, Lagos. He lives in a well-furnished serviced apartment and owns some exotic vehicles.
When he’s not touring the world playing at sold-out gigs and composing music, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He is a good buddy of Rema. Both performers are signed to Jonzing World Entertainment, and D’Prince handles both.
Ruger is now single, despite many advances from females. He has many female admirers. It is expected that his relationship status will change shortly. He is said to be dating Susan Pwajok, a model and social media personality. He came out to clear the air that they are just friends.
Ruger, the gorgeous musician, is 25 years old and a Christian. He is now unmarried and not married, but this is likely to change shortly. He is currently a member of Mavins, alongside Rema, Magixx, Ayra Starr, Korede Bello, Johnny Drille, Boy Spyce, Ladipoe, and Crayon
Social Media
Ruger has emerged as a dominant figure in the African social media community since his rise to prominence. He has millions of die-hard supporters on his social media profiles.
He has more than 2.5 million Instagram followers and over 172 thousand Twitter followers.
Net Worth
Since his rise to prominence in the profession, the singer has amassed a fortune. He is one of Nigeria’s highest-paid new generation artists. Ruger’s net worth is estimated to be between $400,000 and $500,000.
