Ruger’s Asiwaju goes gold in France

The development was confirmed by the French music trade body, the National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing (SNEP), which tracks music sales in the country.

Ruger, formerly signed to the Jonzing World label, achieved the milestone after crossing 15 million equivalent streams.

Ruger’s gold certification adds to a growing list of Afrobeats stars who have recently secured recording certifications in France, including Omah Lay, Rema, Burna Boy, and Oxlade, among others.

Produced by Kukbeats, ‘Asiwaju’ blends boastful lyricism with Afrobeats rhythm. The song explores themes of success, resilience, and leadership, drawing parallels to the titular Asiwaju, a Yoruba term for a leader or forerunner. The track also hints at a reliance on bravado and materialism.

A year after its release, ‘Asiwaju’, which peaked at No 1 on Nigeria’s Apple Music chart, was crowned as Spotify’s most streamed song in sub-Saharan Africa, and currently boasts more than 100 million streams on the platform.

Ruger is behind two EPs, the Ru The World debut album, and the RnB collaborative mixtape alongside Bnxn. Following his exit from Jonzing World earlier this year, he floated Blown Boy Entertainment, his independent label.

Ruger’s latest single ‘Toma Toma’ guests Afropop diva Tiwa Savage.