{"id":1529,"date":"2026-01-26T14:48:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T14:48:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/?p=1529"},"modified":"2026-01-26T14:48:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T14:48:29","slug":"ruger-sparks-nostalgia-as-he-teases-new-single-sampling-ja-rule-and-ashantis-always-on-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/ruger-sparks-nostalgia-as-he-teases-new-single-sampling-ja-rule-and-ashantis-always-on-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Ruger Sparks Nostalgia as He Teases New Single Sampling Ja Rule and Ashanti\u2019s \u201cAlways on Time\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Nigerian Afrobeats star Ruger has music fans buzzing after teasing a brand-new single that samples the iconic early-2000s hit \u201cAlways on Time\u201d by Ja Rule featuring Ashanti, \u00a0a track that topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the era\u2019s defining R&amp;B\/hip-hop duets.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The snippet Ruger shared on social media shows him reinterpreting the familiar sound, melody and rhythm from \u201cAlways on Time,\u201d bringing a fresh Afrobeats twist to a nostalgic classic. Though details about the official release date and full production credits are still under wraps, the reaction has been immediate: fans are replaying the tease, tagging friends, and predicting that Ruger\u2019s version could become one of the breakout sounds of the year.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>For many listeners, the original \u201cAlways on Time,\u201d released in 2001, is a song they grew up with known for its smooth hook from Ashanti and Ja Rule\u2019s melodic verses, produced by Irv Gotti. Its influence on pop and R&amp;B has made it a go-to sample source for artists looking to tap into early-2000s nostalgia.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Ruger\u2019s decision to sample such a beloved track signals confidence and ambition. It suggests he\u2019s aiming to bridge generational musical tastes mixing the familiar with his own contemporary sound to create something that resonates both locally and internationally. Fans are already speculating about how the full track will integrate Ruger\u2019s voice and style with the classic elements of the Ja Rule and Ashanti duet.<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t the first time Ruger has sparked excitement with new music, but tapping into a global hit like \u201cAlways on Time\u201d is likely to elevate the anticipation around this new release. Whether it becomes a nostalgic anthem for older fans or an introduction to the classic for younger listeners, the tease alone has made waves \u00a0setting the stage for what could be one of Ruger\u2019s most talked-about singles yet.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nigerian Afrobeats star Ruger has music fans buzzing after teasing a brand-new single that samples the iconic early-2000s hit \u201cAlways on Time\u201d by Ja Rule featuring Ashanti, \u00a0a track that topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the era\u2019s defining R&amp;B\/hip-hop duets.\u00a0 The snippet Ruger shared on social media shows him reinterpreting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1530,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[160],"class_list":["post-1529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","author-urbanafrica"],"authors":[{"term_id":160,"user_id":2,"is_guest":0,"slug":"urbanafrica","display_name":"URBANAFRICA","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cropped-FFB50F59-0D6C-491C-BACA-64123F72D056.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cropped-FFB50F59-0D6C-491C-BACA-64123F72D056.jpg"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1529"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1529\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1531,"href":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1529\/revisions\/1531"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1529"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africahalloffame.org\/Home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=1529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}