Nigerian rapper Ruggedman has accused singer 9ice of weaponizing a disagreement with him and ex-wife Toni Payne to sell his album “Tradition”.
In 2010, Ruggedman and 9ice had a fallout after collaborating on rap hit “Ruggedy Baba”.
Rumours at the time suggested that Ruggedman was allegedly having an affair with 9ice then wife Toni Payne. 9ice released the “Tradition” album amidst the controversy.
In one of the songs in the album “Once Bitten Twice Shy”, 9ice proverbly chronicled how someone his lover betrayed him, cheating on him with his friend.
Ruggedman denied being involved in issues that led to the break up of 9ice’s marriage with Toni Payne.
Over 10 years later, Ruggedman said 9ice deliberately used the rumour to help the sale of the album that was initially doing badly in the market.
Speaking with Chude, Ruggedman said, “When that album came out, the Tradition album, it wasn’t moving until the rumour started to spread.
“From 9ice said he caught his wife to Ruggedman and his wife, but when you hear the song there was nothing like that.
“A lot of people went to buy the album because they wanted to hear what they assumed he had said, and it really hurt me, cos I Felt you were throwing me and your wife under the bus, just so you could sell CDs.”
When asked about the whole incident back then, he said; “I asked 9ice to clear the air on the matter six years ago when the rumour broke; he did not but waited until recently to do so. What did it cost him to do that? But I am happy that we are all alive to witness things today.”
Asked if the scandal affected his relationship with other colleagues in the industry and if it had any negative effect on his career, Ruggedman said the news did not change anything significant.
“Many of my colleagues were very professional even though they could have had their own reservations. But, nobody ever came to me to accuse me of any wrongdoing, not even 9ice himself. No woman ever behaved strangely towards me as a result of that rumour,” he said.
“Anybody who is close to me knows the things I can and cannot do. I still enjoy a very good relationship with many of my colleagues especially the females in our industry. And I am glad that a lot of them who knew me knew that I could not do such a thing.”
