Rudeboy Says Social Media Has Reduced Musicians’ Prestige, Calls Music Videos a Waste of Money

Nigerian singer Paul Okoye, popularly known as Rudeboy and formerly one half of the defunct P-Square duo, has said social media has reduced the prestige and mystique musicians once enjoyed among their fans.

Speaking in a recent interview with Lun Lifestyle TV, the singer acknowledged the benefits of social media but argued that constant exposure to artistes has weakened the excitement and admiration they previously commanded.

According to Rudeboy, musicians were once more mysterious because fans mainly encountered them through music videos or during live appearances. He said the limited access made such encounters more memorable and sometimes triggered intense reactions from admirers.

The Reason With Me crooner also questioned the value of spending heavily on music videos in the current digital era, arguing that fans’ constant exposure to artistes through social media has changed how they consume music.

He said, “Music videos somehow now, because of this generation, is a waste of money. I am sorry to say this. But do you remember us [P-Square] before? You don’t see us anywhere. You just watch music videos, you see us and that’s it, or we come to your country, you see us.”

Rudeboy argued that fans are less likely to react with overwhelming excitement when they encounter musicians because they already see them frequently on platforms such as TikTok.

“The reason you don’t see people faint for artistes anymore is because they see them on TikTok every day dancing and promoting your music. If Michael Jackson was alive now and doing promotional content on social media, nobody would see him and faint,” he said.

The singer further argued that the industry may find it difficult to restore the level of mystery that once surrounded major artistes.

“Unfortunately, it’s too late for us to bring back the era of artistes being mystiques. How can you advise an artiste to post every day? How? Post what? You don’t need to,” he added.

While acknowledging that social media had brought positive changes to the music industry, Rudeboy said excessive exposure had also led to what he described as “see-finish,” a situation where fans become overly familiar with celebrities.

He explained that fans can now see personal moments of artistes, including how they eat and express their emotions, while even their outings to clubs are frequently recorded and shared online.

Rudeboy’s comments highlight the debate over how musicians can balance social media promotion with maintaining a distinctive public image in an increasingly connected entertainment industry.