Ruger Says His Team Always Confirm Ladies Age To Be 21+ Before They Go On Stage During Performances

Ruger, a stage name for Nigerian musician Michael Adebayo Olayinka, said that his crew always confirms a woman’s age before putting her on stage, despite his contentious performances. This was covered in a recent conversation with the young artist on the Zero Conditions podcast. Ruger emphasized the importance of ensuring that all performers are of legal age to avoid potential legal issues or controversies. He also mentioned that his crew takes this precaution to maintain a professional and responsible environment during his shows.

He claims that before he dances on stage with anyone during his performances, his crew always verifies that they are over 21, and he always obtains permission before the dance. He said other Nigerian singers had also asked women to dance, but people only seemed to object when he did. He believes his criticism is rooted in a double standard, as he feels unfairly targeted compared to other Nigerian singers who interact similarly with their fans. Despite this controversy, he remains committed to ensuring that his performances are respectful and consensual for everyone involved.

In his words,

“First of all, I’m not the first to do it; lots of artiste do it and they’ll not come for them but maybe because it’s Ruger, they’ll now come for me. But on stage, before I bring any girl on stage, my team checks their ID to make sure they are over 21. If you’re 18 or 19, you’re not climbing that stage. And I ask them openly on stage, ‘Are you ready?’ and they say yes, and they are eager to. I stand and they come to me but I feel like people just want to talk, maybe because it’s me.”

“Before I kick off my America tour, I used to go to Eko Atlantic and run like four times, get back into my car and go home. So, it helps my energy. I make sure I ate well, slept well. Prayer too. Fasting and prayer just to be prepared spiritually.

“I’m a Christian. I pray even before I go on stage to perform. It just works. We are allowed to party. It’s just like I’m partying. I’m not a bad person. The fact that I dance with girls on stage doesn’t mean I’m bad.”

"Before I bring any girl on stage, my team checks to make sure they are above 21"

– Ruger

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📹 Zero Conditions Podcast pic.twitter.com/i6zeoeErEn

— 🐬 @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) September 18, 2023