I was the first young Nigerian artist to own a car – Ruggedman

• Ruggedman in a recent interview,  claimed that he owned a car before Afrobeats megastars like P-Square and D’banj.
• He also claimed that he was the first young artist to print posters and calendars back then.

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Veteran rapper Ruggedman shares his experiences as a pioneering figure in the Nigerian music scene.

In a recent interview with Echo Room, he discussed his achievements, including being one of the first young Nigerian artists to own a car.

Ruggedman stated that he bought a BMW in 2004 for N900,000, predating other artists, such as P-Square and D’banj, in achieving this milestone.

He noted that at the time, only artists signed to Kennis Music had access to cars, which were provided for official use and not owned by the artists themselves.

“I bought my BMW for N900,000 in 2004. I was the first young Nigerian artist to own a car before them P-Square and D’banj,” he said.

“The only artists that had cars then were signed to Kennis Music. They didn’t own the cars. They were only given to them for official use. Tuface shared the same car with his labelmates then.”

Ruggedman also claimed to be the first young artist to produce promotional materials like posters and calendars, highlighting his innovative approach to marketing and self-promotion in the early days of his career.

Ruggedman has earlier claimed that he was one of those behind the evolution of Nigerian music .

He declared that he played a significant role in ensuring that the industry got to where it is today by releasing a controversial hit song.

Speaking during an interview, Ruggedman said at a point in his career, he focused on making original music which was one of the major moves that propelled the Nigerian sound.

The singer said:

“I played a significant role in the evolution of the Nigerian music industry. After I released the song that has been tagged one of the most controversial songs out of Nigeria, I sat up and concentrated on making original music.

“That is one of the major moves that led us to where we are today. Anyone who listens to my recently released Extended Play album titled, Michael Stephens Experiment, will hear how my music has evolved.”