Rudeboy On How Social Media Is Affecting Musicians’ Fame

Singer Paul Okoye, better known by his stage name as Rudeboy, has accused excessive social media exposure of eroding the star power and mystique that once distinguished musicians from their fan base.

According to the former P-Square member, artists are finding it more difficult to maintain an air of exclusivity due to the constant promotion of songs, daily content creation, and online display of private moments.

In a recent interview with Lun Lifestyle TV, Okoye discussed how social media has altered the music industry despite increasing the reach of artists.

He recalled that during P-Square’s heyday, fans mostly came into contact with the pair through public appearances and music videos, which helped maintain their appeal.

“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,” Okoye said.

“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 added.

The Reason With Me crooner also expressed concern that musicians are increasingly expected to post regularly, leaving little room for privacy or the carefully maintained public image that once defined major stars.

“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.”

“Social media brought positive change to the industry but it also led to ‘see-finish.’ Artistes are now too exposed. Fans see how they eat and cry. Before when artistes go to club, they stay in restricted VIP areas, but now when they are clubbing, everyone is filming.”

Times are changing, and technology continues to improve every day. In the past, platforms like TikTok, Facebook and Instagram didn’t play the role they do now, and fans had fewer ways to follow their favourite artists. Today, people can watch musicians perform from the comfort of their homes and stay connected to them online. The experience of music and fame is no longer what it once was—and these changes may be behind Rudeboy’s comments about musicians’ star power.