Ruger, born Michael Adebayo Olayinka is a Nigerian Afrobeats artist and lyricist who gained prominence with his track “Bounce” and secured a record contract in 2021 with Jonzing World.
That same year, he unveiled his first EP, “Pandemic.” Fast forward to 2024, he departed from Jonzing World to establish his own label, which he named ‘Blown Boy Entertainment’.
Early life
Michael Adebayo Olayinka, born on September 23, 1999, hails from the Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. Raised in Lagos, he has roots deeply embedded in his hometown.
Career
Olayinka, discovered by D’Prince, was christened “Ruger”. His debut song amassed seventy million views within three days. In January 2021, D’Prince revealed Ruger’s signing to Jonzing World and Sony Music Entertainment UK, in collaboration with Columbia Records.
Ruger collaborated with Rema on the track “One Shirt” in January 2021. Following this, in February 2021, he released “Ruger”, a single from his first EP, “PANDEMIC”.
The song “Bounce” emerged as a standout from “Pandemic”, entering the Top 50 chart Nigeria at number 39 and ranking at number 20 on the TurnTable End of the Year chart and number 2 on Apple Music’s top Afrobeats songs. On November 26, 2021, he unveiled his second EP, “The Second Wave”, featuring “Dior” as the lead single, which debuted at number 32 on the Top 50 chart and number 15 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart.
His second EP, “The Second Wave”, produced by Kukbeatz, was released on November 19, 2021. The track “Dior” reached number 32 on the Top 50 chart and number 15 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart. In 2021, Ruger received nominations for Best Newcomer at the AFRIMMA (African Muzik Magazine Awards) and at the AFRIMA (All Africa Music Awards) for Best Artiste, Duo or Group in African Reggae, Ragga or Dancehall, and Most Promising African Artiste of the year.
In February 2023, Ruger was honored as the Best New Artiste at the Soundcity MVP Awards held at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos.
Personal life
As per reports, Ruger is currently single and has not confirmed any details about his relationship history.
Net Worth
According to Naija Net Worth, Ruger, the Nigerian singer, reportedly has a net worth of $322 thousand. His primary sources of income include music sales, endorsement contracts, and earnings from shows and tours.