Ruger Covers Gyptian’s ‘Wine Slow’: “My Favorite Song Of All Time”

Nigerian Afrobeats artist Ruger added a Jamaican twist to his recent Apple Music London Sessions performance shared on Wednesday.

The young star performed slick renditions of his hits Asiwaju and Ashana off his debut project RU The World, and a sultry cover of Gyptian’s Silver-certified hit, Wine Slow.

He joined Apple Music 1 host Dotty to discuss his experience recording the session and explained why he could never get bored of Wine Slow, a track he discovered in 2020, which has since become his “favorite song of all time.”

“I found the song and I just fell in love with it,” Ruger said. “I use it for anything, even when I’m chilling. If I want to sleep, I could just listen to it.”

“When we’re recording it, during the Apple Music London Session, they were saying I had to do four takes, five takes. I said, ‘I could do 100 takes of the song as long as I’m enjoying myself,’ because that song is amazing.”

He added: “I think I first heard that song properly, I think 2020, during the quarantine, then COVID, all of that, the outbreak and all of that. I was just searching for music. I just found it on YouTube and yeah.”

Wine Slow‘s official music video, shot at Bob Marley Beach in Saint Thomas, has captured over 10 million views on YouTube, while an unofficial audio has over 108 million views.

In March this year, the song was certified Silver in the United Kingdom after it sold over 200,000 units in the country, as measured by The Official Charts Company.

First released in October 2012, Wine Slow was produced by Rvssian on his guitar-heavy Rio riddim. The riddim had also featured Erup and Keida’s Baby Girl, Vybz Kartel‘s Warn Him, Voicemail’s Nuh Trust Dem, and Jahmiel’s Leaving You Lonely.

Wine Slow later appeared on Gyptian’s fourth studio album Sex, Love and Reggae, released via VP Records in 2013, with other notable tracks such as Non Stop, Turn Me On, and Overtime.

These days, Gyptian has been occupied with a European tour that goes all the way to December 22, 2023. It sees him making appearances in Italy, France, Norway, Switzerland, before ending in Belgium.

By all indications, the shows have so far yielded healthy turnouts.

Released on September 1, Ruger’s RU The World featured Jamaican artists Stefflon Don, Govana, and Projexx.

Stefflon Don loaned her vocals to the track Addiction, while Govana sprinkled his unique flavour in Likely. Projexx, on the other hand, was featured on Island Girl, the 13th track on the album.