Nigerian rapper and activist, Michael Ugochukwu Stephens, popularly known as Ruggedman, has questioned the decision to place legendary artistes such as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, King Sunny Ade, and Kwam1 under the Afrobeats category.
He made his view known during an interview on Channels Television’s Rubbin’ Minds programme on Sunday, November 2, 2025.
Ruggedman argued that the pioneers of Nigerian music should not be grouped under the modern Afrobeats tag, as their styles and sounds differ completely.
According to him, Afrobeat, created by Fela Kuti, was a unique and revolutionary music form rooted in activism and live instrumentation, while today’s Afrobeats is a commercial mix of African pop sounds designed for entertainment.
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The rapper expressed concern that the term “Afrobeats” may soon fade away, even though Nigerian music remains at the forefront globally.
He added that while he is proud of the industry’s growth, he is not impressed by the quality of many modern songs.
Ruggedman also lamented the decline of rap music in Nigeria, saying most artists now focus on genres that bring quick financial rewards.
He said that rap requires more effort and resources to promote compared to Afrobeats, which dominates the market.
“Even though their names, Afrobeat and Afrobeats sound almost the same, some people are of the opinion that they are not the same. Afrobeat is Fela Kuti’s revolutionary, instrumental genre while Afrobeats is today’s diverse, commercial African pop sound.
“I just have a feeling that this whole Afrobeats thing, the tag might end soon. Nigerian music is in the forefront and I’m happy it is Nigerian music.
“The only change that I don’t fancy much is the quality of the music, and not too many of them are giving me what I really respect.
“Unfortunately, rap has kind of taken a backseat, because people want to do something that gives them money quickly. Not too many people are doing rap, and it costs more to push and promote rap than Afrobeats.”
Speaking about his new acoustic project, Ruggedman said he recently released guitar-backed versions of five of his popular songs — Ruggedy Baba, Baraje, Change, Won’t Battle, and One Man — in collaboration with guitarist Fiokee.
He described the project as a fresh way for fans to connect with the soul and meaning behind his lyrics.
