Why I Remain Single at 52, Nigerian Rapper Ruggedman Explains

Veteran Nigerian rapper, Michael Ugochukwu Stephens, popularly known as Ruggedman, has opened up on why he is still unmarried at 52. NigerianCulture Magazine

The rapper said his demanding music career and the collapse of a five-year relationship contributed to his single status.

Ruggedman, who spoke during a recent radio interview, said he had always wanted to get married and have children but was determined not to have a child outside wedlock.

According to the rapper, he entered the Nigerian music industry at a time when artists had to rely heavily on their hustle, a journey he said consumed much of his time.

“I am one of those who got into the industry back in the day where all we had was our hustle and we faced it and before you know it, time was gone,” he said. Ruggedman noted that while some of his contemporaries found partners who were willing to journey with them through their careers, his experience was different.
“2baba was lucky to have found partners who were ready to walk that road with him, I wasn’t that lucky,” he said.
The rapper disclosed that he was once in a five-year relationship which he believed would eventually lead to marriage, but the relationship ended after an unspecified incident. “I had a five year relationship that I thought would lead to marriage but something happened and it crashed,” he said.

Read Also: Ojay Wright Recalls Discovering His Mother Bukky Wright’s Popularity

Ruggedman also revealed that he is currently not in a relationship.

“Currently, I’m not in any relationship,” he said.
Addressing his desire to have children, the rapper said he had made a personal decision not to have a child outside marriage. “The only thing I vowed is that I will never have a child out of wedlock,” he said.

Despite being 52, Ruggedman said he does not consider marriage to be beyond his reach, stressing that age should not determine when a person finds a life partner. “No, I don’t think it’s too late. It’s never too late. As long as you are alive, it’s never too late to get married,” he said.

The rapper also dismissed any speculation about his sexuality when asked directly during the interview, saying: “I am very straight.”