 I understand so many people want to know. What happened to your eye? Why do you cover your eye? I bring my eye, yeah. You know they call me Ruga. Understand? Yeah, and shooting from afar, you use a sniper, yeah? And what does a sniper do? Covers one eye. So that's what I'm doing. Shooting from afar, I don't need to come close. Shooting and aiming my target in life. That's it. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to SPM bars. Bars with the stars. And today I have the Afrobeat star, fast-riding Nigerian superstar. Goes by the name Michael Adebayo, aka Ruga. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What's happening with me? I'm doing good. Good to see you man. Good to see you too, Maggie. Welcome to Kenya. I'm happy to be here. Thanks so much for having me. Welcome, sir. And can we say, Karibu Kenya, Karibu Nyumbani. Karibu Kenya, Karibu Nyumbani. Hakuna Matata. Means no worries. Good. You're a good student. So far, how's the going? Yeah, man, I've enjoyed myself so far. Even though it has been a little bit busy, but I've been trying to have fun along with it. And Kenyan people are amazing people. Beautiful set of people. Beautiful women. And nice men too, you know. So like, everyone has been accommodating. The hospitality is good. The scenery, everything, you know. I'm just enjoying myself on a mad way. Do you know that Kenyan women have been brought in the most beautiful women in Africa? Actually, I've been seen some nice... You don't even know if you're sure. You don't even know if you're sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, what I've seen so far is impressive. What do you look into, Agar? What do you look into? What do you look into, Agar? I don't like to put that out. It's good to know maybe your taste. You know what? Let me tell you why. Because, you know, if I say that now, it makes a lot of girls can actually pretend to be what they are not. You know? So when I see what I want in the girl, I'll take it. I don't need to tell anyone about that. But you have your taste. It's good to know. No, no. Nobody should know. Dark skin, light skin. I'll go for what I want. I might go for anything you want, I know. So your name, Ruga? Yeah. What is it all about your name? How did you get your name? Ruga means a gun. Ruga is a gun. It's a gun. It's a dangerous gun, you know? Right from time, there was this way I used to record. When I'm recording the studio, it was like a reflex. I was always like this when I'm recording. When I'm recording on the mic, I was like, I'm saying that. So actually, it was given to me by my boss, the CEO of Johnson World. So he saw me record several times and just called me Ruga. Well, first of all, when he gave me that name, I didn't know how to own up to the name because I was skeptical about it. But as time went on, as my sound was evolving during my grooming process, I owned up to the name and I knew that, yes, I'm ready to take on this name and that's why I'm here. Yeah. You're being signed under Johnson World Records. Yeah. By one of the best, I can say best, CEO of Johnson World, Prince. How do you feel to be mentored and inspired by Prince? It's a very amazing feeling. I got to meet the Prince and actually share almost everything he has. I've lived with him personally and I know almost everything about him. He is the kind of boss that is very, very relatable. You can talk to him anytime you want. He just comes to your house and just takes you out. He's not that serious, but he's still serious. They call us Johnson World, but you don't know when you say someone is Johnson. You feel like the person is not serious, but we're actually doing the serious thing in a playful way. You understand what I'm saying? So being with him is a very playful, serious feeling. You get to talk, you get to put out how you feel. It tells you how it feels and comes in agreement. It's actually fun, not every CEO does that. I feel like every boss should actually emulate that character of relating with whoever they're working with. It will help the organization for the betterment of what you're actually growing in the process that's it. You being signed and the Jocelyn World Records, do you feel pressure to produce, to write a good music? I don't feel any pressure. Music is already in me. I let it out. So there's no pressure because I thank God for the kind of talent he has given me. The talent I have is a kind of rushed talent. I just put it out how I feel in respect to my experience at that moment. You understand? So there's no pressure. I do it when it's time and I hit the nail on the head. That's it. I understand you coming from Lagos, Nigeria. There's always pressure to carry a Nigerian vibe in your music. Do you feel that pressure? No. The Nigerian vibe in your music is already in you already. I don't think there's any pressure to actually do it. You understand? You're Nigerian. It will show in the way you speak, in the way you put your words together, in the way you put your lyrics together, in the way you actually look, to the way you carry yourself. So I don't think there's any pressure to actually do that or anyone is forced to actually do that. No. You're Nigerian. It shows your Kenyan. It shows your Ugandan. It shows your African. It shows. You don't have to force you to be what you're not. That's it. I understand. So many people want to know what happened to your eye. Why do you cover your eye? Cover my eye. You know they call me Ruga. Understand? Yeah. And shooting from afar, you use a sniper, yeah? And what does a sniper do? Cover one eye. So that's what I'm doing. Shooting from afar. I don't need to come close. Shooting and aiming my target in life. That's it. You have your aims. You have your goals in music. Yeah. What do you want to achieve? I would say anywhere. I want to be trusted for good music as the years come by. I'm not really bothered about if it's doing numbers or it's not doing numbers. You understand? I want everyone to know that I do good music and good music to me is a genre on its own. That's the passion. That's the way I'm so passionate about my music and about music as a whole. Because I listen to music. I listen to other people's music. I listen to my music too. I draw inspiration from everywhere. And so I want to be known for that good music. I want to be known as someone that doesn't disrespect the art and the craft of music. You're well known for writing good music. Let's talk about your writing skills. What inspired you to write your song Bounce? Okay. Actually it was based on vibes. Just male vibes. I can't remember the experience though. But I knew I can just tell you the experience I had recording it. So me and the producer were in the studio because I have a studio in our house. So we were in the studio and there was a party going on at the rooftop of my house. So while the party was going on, me and the producer were actually downstairs recording. And that's actually kind of… You didn't want to join them? No, I don't know. I don't know whether I didn't want to join them. But that was the vibe I was feeling at that time. So as we recorded, we just took it up to the rooftop where my guys then were partying and we played it there and boom. And we said, yeah, this is going in the EP. That's the thing. Tom, just to know, maybe you have similar looks with Whiskid. From your eyes, from the way you dye your hair, your height and everything. Did Whiskid inspired you to become who you are today? Whiskid inspired everybody. Whiskid inspired us, inspired every Afrobeat artist. Davido has inspired every Afrobeat artist, same as Bonobo has inspired every Afrobeater and everyone that has been there, Don Jersey and everyone. So we have looked up to these people for a very long time. And that's why we are making them proud and making Nigeria proud and Africa proud as old. I can say with the height, yeah, I look like Whiskid. That's it. Let's talk about Bonobo concert in London and go to Arena. How was the experience? Man, I want to thank God and I want to thank Bonobo for putting me on that way. Getting to UK for the first time and performing at the O2. I don't know if I would say I'm the first person that that would ever happen to. That was very amazing. It was an amazing feeling. Getting in there and people screaming my name and people were actually vibing with what I had to give. That was an amazing feeling and I'm grateful to everyone supporting me around the world. Be it Europe, Africa, America, everywhere. I love you guys so much. I want to thank everyone supporting me. Rue Nation for life. That's what I call my fan base. Rue Nation for life. Thanks so much. Rue Nation, we represent everywhere we are. They go hard everywhere I go to and that's an amazing feeling and I can't wait to share more music with you guys. That's it. I do understand during your performance there was a problem with the feedback. So you had to tell the DJ, hold on. Let me do the acapella way. Let me show you how I do my way. Do you have skills? Say it like you have to get it going, like you have to show people that now this is me, hear my voice. First of all, the fans are the only ones that can give it that type of energy. If the fans are not vibing, I don't think you have the confidence to actually pull that. If the fans are not singing your song, you'll not be able to sing the acapella like you just. So when I got there, I entered with Ruga, my last petifier to the mic from day one. I found out that the feedback was not good. So I said, okay, let me just finish. Then let's get to half of this song, then get to bounce immediately without wasting time. I would have done, I would have been next. But I said, I shouldn't waste time on this because of this problem. Let's get to bounce bounce out quickly. So I just sang the acapella with the crowd, the crowd we're singing to. I made sure I finished the whole song with acapella with the crowd singing with me. Then immediately I was done. I told the DJ to play and I was just dancing. I didn't have to do much anymore. Just my, eh, eh, eh, that's all. Ruga, I understand you are a good-fearing man. What is the relationship with you with God? Strong. It is what it is because I grew up in a church background. I got to live in a church. I wasn't a choir. I sang and I played the drum set. So like, I tried as much as possible, even with the fame to just still keep in touch with God. It's very important. It helps build your confidence actually because there's this inner peace you have when you know that God is hiding in your face. So you don't have to stress yourself about anything because God is in control. That's the way I work. How do you keep in touch with God? Do you go to church? When was the last time you went to church? Um, I attend online services. Before real? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I attend online services. Not every time. Can lie. I understand you are busy. Yeah, not every time. But I make sure I pray every day. You understand? I make sure I read my Bible every day. So, Rema, a fellow artist signed under Joselyne Moore Records, has the same, has a song named Bombs. Yeah. It had, it brought up reactions, fans were saying it will bring clash between you and Rema. Yeah. What's the relationship? What's the working relationship with Rema? And then how did you handle that? It was actually funny. We're actually laughing together when we're seeing all those comments because what we're just saying, let's just bounce along. That's what me and Rema were just saying. Let's just bounce along. It's just fun to see how they're actually talking about us. You know, that means when people's faces we're, we're, we're in their minds where people are really focusing on us. It's hard for two people from a record label to blow up. That's a very hard thing, but that is it with Joselyne Moore. That's what we do and I'm happy about that. I do understand for an artist to go to another label, he or she needs a management. Maybe you could tell me Joselyne Moore Records has done to you so far. Yeah. Like I say, we are Joselyne Moore. Joselyne Moore can be, can mean playful, but we're actually serious in the process. We don't play, but we play. Do you understand? So like the personal good, there's this character we're built to showcase. You understand? Go hard or go home. That's it. You have to just go hard in everything you do. Make sure you just go hard. Make sure that what you're doing is drawing attention. You understand? What you're doing is in a positive way. You understand? That's it. All right. Understand, big fans of you are ladies. Yeah. How do you handle fame? How do you manage to live your normal life, your simple life and you being an artist, a big artist in Africa and the world? Just have fun with it. I'll tell everyone, have fun with it. Don't see it as something that is stressing you. Have fun with it. Enjoy yourself. Have time for your fans. You know, talk to your fans. Take pictures. You know, see it as something that you enjoy. Don't see it as, oh, I can't take a picture now every time. But still, you can get tired. You understand in the process, but as much as possible to like enjoy it too. That's it. Where do you see yourself in the next five years? I understand you have pressure to leave a good music. Where I see myself, I just see greatness and grace. That's all. I don't talk too much. Just greatness and grace. More greatness and grace, that's it. Any plans to your fans in Kenya? Any plans to stay in Kenya? Yeah, I could. I love Kenya. I could come here and get a house or something. Are you planning to work with any Kenyan artist so far? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's see how that goes. You just fingers crossed. Let's just see how that goes still. All right. There's always a feeling for an artist to win awards, to perform at the international stages, international level, to travel, to tour. Do you feel that pressure? No. I, first of all, I say what would be would be if I'm not at that stage in the next five years, I'm not going to bother myself. I'm not going to work myself up. I'm not going to make me go crazy. I continue till it happens. I feel like I appreciate as an artist or anybody doing anything. I appreciate the little things you are actually getting now. If you don't appreciate and thank God for that little thing that you are actually getting now, you won't be able to scale through and get into the next phase. So I try as much as possible to just be in no rush and just I see life as a process. Just go with the process. What will be will be there's no pressure on that. If you are an artist and you're pressuring yourself, stop, keep working though, you understand, keep working, but don't see it as something that you just have to do. What will be will be that's how I roll. You winning awards, can awards define a success of an artist? Yes, it can. It can. Do you want to win awards? I want to win awards. But if you never get a chance to win an award? Yeah, it's fine. It's fine. I keep working till I get one. You understand, I feel like eventually if I don't get an award, eventually I will get if I keep working. But there's no pressure at all. I will make that make me break me down, you understand, because of one award. Now I get broken down. That's not right. That's not how you get to the next level. You see it as, okay, I didn't win this. We move. Be happy for the person that won it and move forward. Keep working. Whatever will be will be. That's how. Okay. Kenyans have good music, have good artists. Yeah. What is the favorite music in Kenya? Have you heard of any? Do you have any of your best music? I enjoy a lot of South iso though. Like South iso I listen to a lot. Any other artists you know from Kenya? I can't remember the names where I've been listening to some sounds though. I can't remember the names, but I'll go, I'll go, make more findings and get back to people again. Any plans to work with any Kenyan artists? Like I said, let's see how that goes. Fingers crossed. We have the best artists. I know, I know, I know, I know, I know. Let's see how that goes. No, you can say a name. Maybe someone is favorite. Somebody we've been listening to. I would like to work with South iso still. Can I suggest some names? Yeah, you can. Major. We have Major. We have South iso. We have Kali Graf. We have Otile Brown. We have Trio Mio. We have Female Artist. We have... Yeah, those are the names that I can't even remember. The Kali Graf. Yes. The Major. Yeah. But still we keep moving and I feel like Africans repush each other. So that's why we're here to like help each other to grow. And I see Africans winning Grammys like being nominated in 10 categories and the Grammys, you understand, in the next two years because Africa is taking over. So that's the thing. Let's just support each other. There's always a concern that Nigerian artists, Nigerians support their own artist. There was... Once a time there was a comment on social media that Kenyan music is not well played in Nigeria because Nigerians want to support their own. But you see, most of Nigerian artists come to Kenya for tours, for shows, for music collaboration, for business. And it's vice versa to Kenyan artists. We don't get air plays in Nigeria. We don't get shows to perform in Nigeria. What's your take on that? Well, that... I don't know. But I feel like now if you check the Kenyan playlist on Apple and all this, you see a lot of Nigerian music, I feel like the people should actually listen to their music and push the music too by themselves too. I feel like if just like in some countries, you see where my situation whereby they're just listening to American artists every time and all of that, I don't know why it's like that. But I feel like if we are proud of what we have, that will actually help. Is it that Kenyan music is not good enough? No, it's good. It's good. It's good. What's your Kenyan artists do? Maybe your advice to them? What do you need to do to stand out? Well... Yeah, you can advise them that they're listening. They're ready to hear from you. Collaborations will work. Try to work more with artists from other countries, you know. That will help. You can't do it alone. You can't... No man is an island, you understand. When they come to Nigeria, they should try to work with Nigerian artists. And when Nigerians call me just like I'm here, I could try to work with a Kenyan artist too. So that's the way we push each other and make our names known in other countries. Same way in America, Americans try to collaborate with us just for their names to be known here. So I feel like working together will help. No beef, no fights. Don't feel like one country is better than one country. Just work. Let's just work together and that will build the momentum, build the growth. Okay. Lastly, as we finish up, I've seen you were a big fan of Manchester United. What inspired you to love football and support Manchester United? Life on a smile. I don't know, it just happened. What happened? I don't know. Why not ask? What's that? No, like there was this place where when I was young, I used to go film rentals. I always go there. It happened that almost every time they were always... Anytime I go there, they were playing Manchester United matches. You understand? It just happened like so. Like I just loved the red and everything, right from the start. And I just adapted it and I loved Manchester United from there. Who's your favorite player in Manchester United? We're not doing that. We're not doing that. So you guys think yourself winning this season? We will. Okay, there's the camera. We're on top of the table already. For now? Don't worry, we still have more games to go. No, we will. Don't worry. For now, they're out there, you know, the goods. So to your Kenyan fans, maybe one of the advice to them? Keep loving each other, keep working, keep believing in each other and stay rugged.