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Tag: Ruggedman

  • Ruggedman apologises to police officer

    As a result of an open letter from Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmus, to Ruggedman, following his outburst on officer Shogunle who was said to have decamped from #ENDSARS party to #ReformSars, the rapper took to his Instagram page to apologise, admitting that he was too hard on the officer.

    Uploading a picture of himself with the PRO he wrote, “Officer @opetodolapo if you know how much I love and respect you, you will never think I will bring any negativity towards you. You are a no nonsense taking person just like I am and that’s also one of the things I like about you.

    “Just like you won’t take what is not right, I won’t too. Just like you speak up, I do too. I admit I was harsh on officer Shogunle, but I had every right to cos it was out of anger. Which I have made amends and I am here to do same with this, because I believe we are on the same side. You do not use anyones name, brand and image without permission. Especially if it is passing a message that is deemed wrong by the owner”.

    “We want the brutality and wrong doings to end, be it #endsars #reformsars #reformNigerianPolice #eatwithsars or #entertainmentmeetsecurity .The end to innocent Nigerians suffering at the hands of bad officers is what we are clamouring for. For officers to respect citizen’s rights and vice versa is what we want. So that naija can be a place we all move freely, except for criminals”.

    “We are supposed to run to officers for help and not run away when we see them. Let’s all play our parts to help Nigeria get better. Accept my apology for anything I did to upset you, you remain my super cop and I miss our friendship”.

    The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigeria Police, has been under criticisms for high-handedness and molesting of citizens necessitating the #endsars campaign calling for the scrap of the unit.

  • ALIBABA, ASA, MI, OVER 40 OTHERS FEATURE IN KOFFI’S ALBUM

    ALIBABA, ASA, MI, OVER 40 OTHERS FEATURE IN KOFFI’S ALBUM

    NIGERIAN entertainer, Koffi Tha Guru, has releases his much anticipated 13th studio album titled ‘Colourborations’.

    According to the comedian, actor and singer; ”it has been months of pushing and laboring, finally we can say we have put forth a baby full of colours. Over 50 featured acts adding their own shade of awesomeness to one album. Yes, it’s that massive. Colourborations is the biggest project I have worked on till date.”

    Speaking further on the album, Koffi said ”Music has never been this beautiful, that, I can assure you. The Colourborations album begins with the legendary Disc Jockey, DJ Jimmy Jatt taking the intro, Asa doing the outro, MI Abaga rapping in Hausa; this is the only song he has ever done that, Alibaba singing Calypso, Bouqui and the late Fatai Rolling Dollars doing Gospel, Small Doctor and Q-dot bringing homely flows, Kunle Bello going on a Togolese ride with me; these are just a few out of the many pleasant surprises this album is offering,” he said.

    Colourborations which is arguably the biggest collaborative effort by any entertainer in Africa also sees Koffi pull a surprise jazzy funk track with Russian Diva, Diana Bada.

    The 34-track album which features other top entertainers like Sir Shina Peters, Ras Kimono, Paul Play, Ruggedman, Bovi, Sound Sultan, Big Lo, Sunny Neji, 9ice, Ikpa Udo, Chigul, Omobaba, Mc Abbey, Maleke, Obadice, Terry Apala, Ashny, Immaculate Edache, EmmaOhMaGod, Woli Arole, Tolu Ajayi, Classiq, Sossick, and Josh2funny, is currently available on all paid music platform.

  • Ruggedman, Doris Simeon, 10 others for ‘Celebrity Housemate’

    Ruggedman, Doris Simeon, 10 others for ‘Celebrity Housemate’

    Twelve celebrities have been selected to participate in the maiden edition of reality tv show called ‘Celebrity Housemate.’ The reality show which is scheduled to hit the screen between January 12, 2018 and February 11, 2018 will be shot in Amen Estates, Lagos.

    Celebrities selected to live together under one roof for the four-week show include Ruggedman, Doris Simeon, Muma Gee, Emmanuel Ikubese, Yomi Fashlanso, Funky Mallam, Ada Ameh, Peggy Ovire, Eniola Badmus, Frederick Leonard, Ogenna Ekwubiri and Bolanle Ninolowo.

    The celebrity contestants are selected across different spheres of the entertainment industry including comedy, acting and music. They will be placed on series of daily challenges and tasks and the contestants will prove their entrepreneurial acumens through various challenges on the show.

    Also, other top celebrities and role models in the society will visit the housemates in the course of the show.

    The winner will get a Seven million naira star prize while other contestants will also get cash prizes.

    The organisers of the reality show revealed that N2m would be donated to two charity homes by the winner and N1m also goes to selected viewers.

    The executive producer, Kemi Otegbade, said, “we are using this show to converge the Nigerian cultural values with the ideal lifestyle of celebrities and entertain Nigerians in an educating and exciting way. We have been working on the content format and I can assure Nigerian of engaging and exciting experience on television and online when this show comes on TV and also confirm it will be a yearly feature on television.”

    The consulting producer of the show, CEO Dope Tv, Sola Fajobi said “I can imagine the challenges when you put twelve established celebrities in one house, we want to see how they will co-habit together, we also want to see how they can help to redirect and influence the lifestyle that we have in Nigeria now where the social media generation tend to not understand what living means.”

    Fajobi also said the show aimed to promote unity which is why the contestants are selected from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

    “We also believe that the fact that we are taking celebrities from the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria means we want to see wan reunite again, how we can remove the ethnicity bias,” he said.

    “It is a convergence of so many things and we cannot event predict the total outcome of the show but we are quite optimistic that it’s going to be a fantastic experience for TV viewers and Nigerians generally.”

  • RUGGEDMAN TO BLACKFACE: You’re now a veteran upcoming artist

    RUGGEDMAN TO BLACKFACE: You’re now a veteran upcoming artist

    RUGGEDMAN

    FOR including him in his rants in an interview online, foremost rapper, Michael Stevens has called out his colleague in the industry, Blackface.

    In a Facebook rebuttal, Ruggedman said that he feels sad having to respond to Blackface but artistes to whom he has always tried to set a good example would understand.

    “I am and will always be a fan of your one and only album ‘Ghetto Child’ that had some conscious tracks in it,” he wrote.

    “By the way, I am sure you are not blind and can see that Nigeria is still not as great as we want. So why aren’t you singing everyday about it like you said you expected me to keep doing about artists copying?

    “Every time I read about you on social media you are complaining and ranting. If your people around you won’t tell you the truth I will. You are beginning to look like a sad, jealous, washed up artist who can’t keep up with his fellow artists. Like you can’t make music anymore.”

    Tackling Blackface’s claims that he wrote certain songs which his former bandmate, Tubaba allegedly stole, Ruggedman said that a grown man would hit the studio and record more of such songs like 2baba, Sound Sultan, the great Daddy Showkey, African China and Oritse Femi have been doing and prove to the world he wrote them.

    “But you turn town crier at any opportunity you get in front of a camera. I don’t want to believe that complaining on interviews and calling artists names is your only hold on relevance.

    “My brother you are too talented and too old for all this. You are now a veteran upcoming artist bro. Putting my name in your interview was a wrong move,” he added.

  • Ruggedman tackles Blackface

    Ruggedman tackles Blackface

    In a post titled ‘Let’s educate the illiterate as he leads the protest’, Blackface chided his former bandmate; 2Baba over the latter’s proposed protest against the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari-led government saying that 2Baba needs to be educated over some facts concerning the present administration before leading the protest.

    He however caught the ire of another singer, Ruggedman, who feels that 2Baba, instead of being criticized, should he encouraged to bring some of the nation’s issues to the table of President Buhari.

    He said: “Blackface you be my guy and 2baba na my guy, but I will tell you that this your move right here is very disappointing. You sang hard life and all when things were even a bit bearable, but now that things are really messed up you have kept quiet. But here you are mouthing off over a 2Face move? Guy you fall my hand.

    “Talking about educating people; it is not a protest being led by 2face. He said he saw the post and thought to lend his voice to it. Something a few other artists and people have done.  So you knew about all the governors embezzling funds and yet you said nothing. But you are quick to shout now because 2face name has come out on something. But you make it too obvious you have something against 2face and you should have let all this go by now.”

    Ruggedman thinks Blackface may not have gotten over the split of the Plantashun Boys which they both belonged alongside another partner, Faze.

    He urged Blackface to understand that the proposed protest of February 5 is not a personal matter. “Nigerians are suffering and you are just monitoring 2face. At least he has chosen to lend his voice to something all Nigerians believe is needed. What have you done? You have details that should be out there for all to see but you only decided to speak because 2face is involved. Guy change your ways; I know you as a crusader and not a 2face hater. The people need voices that can be heard, I know you are one of them. Do the right thing brother. Life in Naija now is harder than it ever was and Buhari’s people should let Nigerians know what they are doing right and also let Nigerians know who and who is doing wrong,” he said.

  • RUGGEDMAN TO HOLD TSW PARTY

    RIDING on the success his fashion outfit, Twentieth September Wears (TSW) has been garnering, Nigerian rapper, Michael Stevens, aka Ruggedman, is set to have an All White Fashion Party.

    To be headlined by Innocent Idibia, aka 2baba, the event comes up November 20, at the Troy Lounge, beside Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The rapper, who recently added a new collection to his wears, introduced a T-shirt that has faces of over 300 Nigerian musicians from the legendary King Sunny Ade, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, himself, Waje, MI Abaga, Iceprince Zamani, 2baba, Davido, and a host of other popular faces.

    Billed to perform at the Fashion party are: Bman, Joel, Jaywon, Yaw, Ajebo, and many more.

    The CEO of Rugged Records officially launched his fashion line on Saturday 29th, October, 2011 in Lagos, and is reported to have unveiled his 2016/17 collection on September 25, 2016 at Troy Lounge Lagos.

    The event featured top Nigerian acts including, 9ice, Daddy Showkey, Pasuma, Francis Odega and others.

  • Ruggedman and 9ice back together with Religion

    Ruggedman and 9ice back together with Religion

    Two of Nigeria’s frontline hip musicians – 9ice and Ruggedman – over the weekend came out with a new song titled Religion.

    Rich with lyrical delivery style of Yoruba proverbs by 9ice (Abolore Akande) and rap by Ruggedman (Michael Stevens), the duo sing about how they charted the face of hip hop by infusing indigenous languages and slangs.

    “Street ti take over, Yeah, we know we would” rapped Ruggedman on the song. And in what seems like a prophesy, Ruggedman said the Nigerian music industry has blossomed beyond continental imagination.

    “Ruggedman and 9ice making history. You never saw this coming but it is here.”

    The song which has been enjoying massive downloads via the internet and airplay on radio was produced by KrizBeatz and mastered by Marqi.

    The two artistes had first collaborated on Ruggedman’s track, RuggedyBaba in 2009 in which Ruggedman rapped passionately on the essence of rapping and singing in pidgin English as well as in the various mother tongues.

    “From Nigeria, the world only know juju, fuji and afrobeats but we all know hip hop is running the streets,” Ruggedman had rapped on the track.

    “Wetin go make them know where your music dey come from in the long run na the fusion of music, grammar, slang and your mother tongue.”

    9ice, who had rocked the Nigerian hip hop scene with Gongo Aso had referred to Ruggedman as Opomulero which translated from Yoruba means ‘mainframe’ in English.

    And in 2010, Ruggedman and 9ice were engaged in a public feud when it was reported that 9ice accused Ruggedman of sleeping with 9ice’s ex-wife Toni Payne while they were still married.

    However, six years later, 9ice apologised to Ruggedman. And the two frontline Nigerian hip hop musicians with the release of the joint single seemed to have effectively put the past behind them

  • Fathia Balogun, Ruggedman, others, to walk for the blind

    Fathia Balogun, Ruggedman, others, to walk for the blind

    As the Federal Nigeria Society for the Blind celebrates its eleventh white cane day at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos with a walk come August 13, celebrities like Fathia Balogun, Ranti (Iwe Kiko singer), Ruggedman and others will join in to draw attention to the plight of visually impaired persons.

    The walk will start at the National Stadium to Funsho Williams, Costain round-about then back to stadium.

    “The white cane day activity is an annual charity and public enlightenment program of the society started eleven years ago,” said chairman of the executive council of FNSB Asiwaju Fola Osibo.

    “It is organised as another event in our calendar to raise funds for the society for its program of training and rehabilitating the visually impaired in our society, a task we have successfully carried out in the past 61years.

    “It is also a public enlightenment program to draw attention of the general public to the plight of the blind and partially sighted persons in our society so that everyone would know how he/she can lend a helping hand.”

    Osibo however added that the public should always endeavour to help the blind in any way they can “A white cane is a universal symbol with which you recognize the visually challenged person. It simply means that when you see a person with a white cane, you should recognise him/her as being visually impaired or blind and it is everyone’s responsibility to lend a helping hand. Help him/her to cross the road, warn him/her of obstacles or dangers ahead, and assist in getting in and out of public transport. The list of the support the public can give is endless.”

    Over 3, 000 blind or partially-sighted persons have graduated in vocational skills like typewriting, handicraft, tie and dye, computer training, soap making and home economics by FNSB, a non-governmental organisation

  • Ruggedman to release new single on October 1

    Ruggedman to release new single on October 1

    Ace rapper and fashion entrepreneur, Michael Stephens, popularly known as Ruggedman, has assured his fans that he will drop a new single, 8 figures (TSW Remix), on Thursday, October 1, Nigeria’s Independence Day.

    For a while now, it has been rumoured controversial rapper, fondly called Ruggedy Baba by his fans, is working on an album.

    Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Nation, Ruggedman, who recently celebrated his birthday on 20th of September in a mini concert also marked the day with the re-launch of his clothing line, TSW, and the launch of a new venture, water business.

    “It’s a single from the forthcoming Money Making Music 2 album which is a sequel from the first Money Making Music (MMM) album,” he said of the new track, adding that “it is going to be a joint album between my artist Mbryo and myself.”

    He said that the song will officially represent his 8 Figures fashion line.

    Guest artistes that feature on the album are Terry G, Olamide, Ice Prince, Patoranking, Victoria Kimani, Korede Bello, Jaywon, and Dammy Krane.

  • Ruggedman to celebrate clothing line, birthday

    Ruggedman to celebrate clothing line, birthday

    It is no longer news that Ruggedman is planning the official launch of his clothing lines, the products which are already on sales.

    Latest information has it that the launch has been fixed for September 20, as a double show, as he will also be celebrating his birthday on the day.

    Activities scheduled for the planned star-studded event include a fashion show to unveil the 2015/16 edition designs from Twentieth September Wears (TSW) clothing line.

    Some of the artistes expected at the event to be hosted by Denrele are, Akpororo, Kcee, MI Abaga, Solidstar, Presh, and Seyi law among others.

    Michael Stephens, known as Ruggedman, a graduate of political science from Lagos State University, started music in 1999,  becoming one of the most featured rappers in Nigeria. His albums are all released on his personal label, Rugged Records.

    Ruggedman, one of the United Nations Peace Ambassadors, has a clothing line called 20th September wear, named after his birthday.

    Recall that in 2014, the rapper’s clothing line was said to be doing well, as pictures of the trio of Foxy, P.Kekere Lion and Kapone who are notable African comedians based in America went viral online, spotted at Chicago airport wearing the 8Figures varsity jackets from Ruggedman’s TSW.