Veteran Nigerian rapper Michael Ugochukwu Stephens, better known as Ruggedman, has explained why he is still unmarried at the age of 52, citing the demands of his music career and the breakdown of a relationship he expected to lead to marriage.
The rapper made the disclosure during a radio interview, where he spoke about his desire to settle down and raise a family.
Ruggedman said he had always wanted to get married and have children but remained determined not to father a child outside marriage.
Reflecting on his journey in the Nigerian music industry, the rapper explained that building his career took much of his time, leaving him with fewer opportunities to focus on his personal life.
He recalled that musicians who started out during his era had to depend largely on their individual efforts to establish themselves.
“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. 2Baba was lucky to have found partners who were ready to walk that road with him, I wasn’t that lucky. I had a five year relationship that I thought would lead to marriage but something happened and it crashed,” he said.
The rapper also compared his experience with that of his colleague, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, noting that the latter found partners willing to support his journey.
Prompt News reports Ruggedman said a five-year relationship he believed would end in marriage eventually collapsed, contributing to his present marital status.
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He further disclosed that he is currently not romantically involved with anyone.
“Currently, I’m not in any relationship. The only thing I vowed is that I will never have a child out of wedlock,” he said.

