Nigerian music industry is all about business, not friendship

Nigerian Afrobeats artiste Michael Adebayo Olayinka, popularly known as Ruger, has stated that there are no real friends in the music industry.

Speaking on the issue, he stated that if an artiste is lucky, they may have one or two genuine friends who truly want to see them grow and will stand by them through both good and bad times.

Ruger went on to emphasise that the Nigerian music industry is mostly focused on business.

He explained that people often stick around creatives only when they are beneficial to them.

He further stated that once an artiste is no longer useful, those same individuals would eventually walk away and seek out someone else who can offer them something of value.

“One thing I wish I had known earlier is that no one is your friend in the [music] industry. The most you can have is maybe two genuine friends who stand by you and want to see you grow and even when things are bad, they are with you and making sure that you are good. That’s all, man.

“Everything is business. Nobody cares. Just know that everything is business. They are moving around with you because you can offer at that time. The moment you might not be able to offer anything, a lot of people will switch. Remember, the most friends you can have in the industry might be two or one or none,” Ruger stated on the Stanley Agu Show.