Singer Ruger has shared his experience of cancel culture after leaving his former record label, Jonzing World
In a latest podcast appearance, Ruger revealed that he was essentially blacklisted, with many people criticizing him and distancing themselves from him.
Ruger attributed this reaction to the public perception in Nigeria that artists who leave their labels are ungrateful.
He claimed that even some of his colleagues were hesitant to associate with him during this period.
However, Ruger emphasized that he was able to bounce back from this challenging situation through determination and perseverance..
He stated that he had to reintroduce himself to the industry, build new relationships, and start from scratch. Despite the stress and difficulties, Ruger credited his inner strength for helping him overcome the obstacles and ultimately succeed.
He said: “After leaving the label [Jonzing World], there were a lot of comments about it. Some people were saying, ‘This is the last year you’re going to tour’, ‘This is the end’, ‘You’re finished’, this and that.
“Not everybody were willing to help me because the public sentiment once you leave a label in Nigeria is that you are ungrateful. Many people don’t want to associate with that person, even those in the same industry. It happens.”
“I was battling cancel culture. I had to meet a lot of people and reintroduce myself. I was doing a lot of things from the scratch. It’s stressful, I’m not going to lie. It’s not easy to leave a label. You have to build your own system. It was just like starting everything over again. But because I was strong inside -I was also down but I was still strong- I triumphed.”
Ruger’s exit from Jonzing World in 2024 was followed by the launch of his own entertainment outfit, Blown Boy Entertainment, after a reported fallout with label boss D’Prince.
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