Ruger

Michael Adebayo Olayinka, known professionally as Ruger, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and performing artist born on September 23, 1999. He rose to prominence in 2021 with the breakout hit “Bounce,” which led to a record deal with Jonzing World, in partnership with Sony Music UK and Columbia Records. Discovered and named “Ruger” by Nigerian artist and label executive D’Prince, he gained massive attention when his first song garnered 70 million views in just three days. Ruger made his official debut with the single “One Shirt” alongside Rema in January 2021, followed by his debut EP Pandemic, which featured the hit track “Bounce.” In November 2021, he released a second EP The Second Wave, produced by Kukbeatz, with the standout single “Dior,” which achieved chart success in both Nigeria and the UK. His talent earned him nominations at both the AFRIMMA and AFRIMA awards in 2021. Ruger’s momentum continued with the 2022 hit “Asiwaju,” which spent a record-breaking month at number 1 on Nigeria’s Apple Music chart and surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify by May 2024. In February 2023, he won Best New Artiste at the Soundcity MVP Awards. He released his debut studio album, Ru the World, in September 2023, followed by a collaborative mixtape with Bnxn titled RnB in April 2024, featuring the hit single “Romeo Must Die,” which debuted at number 11 on the Billboard Afrobeats chart. In 2024, Ruger took a bold step by leaving Jonzing World to launch his own imprint, Blown Boy Entertainment, marking a new chapter in his rising career.