Two of Nigeria’s hottest musical exports, Ruger and Tiwa Savage, come together on the massive new single Toma Toma out today via Promiseland Records.
On Toma Toma, Ruger’s adored vocal melodies combine with a raw percussion-heavy Ballie Funk flavoured Afrobeats instrumental, interestingly in 6/4 time and masterfully produced by Kukbeatz in Lagos. The mood is softened by a euphoric, uplifting synth arpeggio, and trademark smooth vocals from Savage.
Amidst the unstoppable rise of Nigerian music in recent years (with streaming growth of over 550% on Spotify since 2019, multiple Grammy wins, and viral smashes), 2024 has been an expectedly incendiary year for Ruger. His April-released joint EP with BNXN, Poe, peaked at #1 on Spotify and Apple Music in Nigeria. This summer, he dropped a double A-side single Luv Again / Make Way, remixed Clean Bandit, Anne-Marie and David Guetta’s hit single Cry Baby and has been on tour extensively across Europe, including festival dates such as DLT Malta Festival and Wireless Festival in London.
Since bursting onto the music scene just three years ago, Ruger has become one of the most exciting new artists to emerge from Nigeria, pioneering his unique Afro Dancehall sound, which blends afrobeats and dancehall.
- Telegram