Since dropping his first single in 2021, Michael Adebayo Olayinka, the artist known as Ruger, has made a habit of standing out amongst worldwide audiences, not least thanks to bright pink hair, an eyepatch, and an unequivocally true-to-himself attitude. Spending the bulk of 2023 on a sold-out international tour, Ruger has steadily granted fans a stream of top-tier projects in two short years, from the debut EP ‘Pandemic’ to follow-up ‘The Second Wave’. Breakout single ‘Asiwaj’” would catapult him to wider fame, the track going #1 in Nigeria and #3 on the OCC Afrobeats Chart in the UK, whilst “Girlfriend” and “Bounce” would catch further attention from fans worldwide.

Now, he’s injecting that talent into his debut album, ‘RU The World’. The project explores his soundscape even further and includes features from the likes of Kenya’s Afropop pioneers Sauti-Sol, the UK’s leading lady in rap Stefflon Don and Jamaica’s smoothest Dancehall artist Projexx.

Ruger has released collaborations with Rema, D’Prince and Projexxx, as well as garnered shout-outs from the likes of Popcaan, Wizkid, Davido and Burna Boy, who he opened for at his 2021 London O2 show.