Runtown is a Nigerian Singer who has become famous for his fusion of R&B, hip-hop and reggae, as heard on tracks like “Gallardo”, “Mad Over You” and “For Life.” He co-founded the record label Penthauz alongside rapper Phyno.
Profile Summary
| Full Name/Stage Name | Douglas Jack Agu/Runtown |
| Date of Birth | 19 August 1989 (31 years) |
| Gender | Male |
| Nationality/Ethnicity | Nigerian/Igbo |
| Occupation | Nigerian Singer, Songwriter and Producer |
| Net Worth | $2 million. |
Who Is Runtown?
Douglas Jack Agu, better known by his stage name Runtown, is a Nigerian Singer, Songwriter and Producer and Celebrity. He dabbles into Rap, Hip-pop, Reggae and R&B.
Early Life of Runtown
Runtown was born on 19 August 1989 in Enugu but grew up partly in Abuja and Lagos, where he finished his primary education. After the death of his father, he moved to Abuja with his mother, who was working in the Ministry of Health.
In 2014 he released “Gallardo”, a song which features vocals from Davido and was released as the first single off his debut studio album Ghetto University. Gallardo went on to win “Best Collaboration of the Year” at the 2014 edition of the Nigeria Entertainment Awards. On 23 November 2015, Runtown released his debut studio album titled Ghetto University via MTN Music Plus through Eric Many Entertainments. The album generated over ₦35million on the music portal thus earning him a spot in the list of “Top 5 Most Streamed Artist”.
On 4 November 2016, Runtown released the ballad “Mad Over You”, which charted at number 38 on the Billboard Twitter Top Tracks chart. Joey Akan from Pulse Nigeria described the song as a “self-produced track that draws inspiration from the Ghanaian Alkayida sound”. Runtown told The Fader magazine that the song was inspired by African beauty.
Controversies Associated with Runtown
In 2014, there were reports in the media that Runtown wrote “Aye”. In an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, Runtown said, “A lot of people have been asking me that question. Davido has had a number of interviews where he addressed how the song came about.
In September 2020, He released his 2nd song since the pandemic called “Kini Issue”. The song is from his forthcoming album Soundgod Fest Reloaded.
Runtown’s contract with Eric Manny Entertainment expired in June 2018. He subsequently started his own label, Soundgod Music Group.
Runtown Musical Career Journey Thus Far
Runtown released his first single titled Runtown in 2007, produced by Soge. He moved from Enugu State with fellow artist Phyno in 2007. His initial collaborations were with artists like J-Martins and Timaya.
In 2008, he partnered Phyno to form a record label named Penthauz. He released two singles “Party Like It’s 1980” and “Activity Pikin”.
IvanEdd directed the video to his single Forever in 2010. In 2012, American artise with Jamaican descents Laza Morgan featured Rowntown on his track titled High on you, this was a huge hit in the islands and topped the Caribbean music The Celebrity Portal.
He featured Nigerian top artist, Davido on the hit song “Gallardo” in January of 2014. This track eventually led to his fame, winning Best Collaboration Award at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainments Awards.
Eric-Manny Entertainment noticed the potential in the young artist and decided to sign him on. This partnership proved to be a very lucrative one because shortly after bringing him on board, he released Successful and Domot. These songs were frequently played across radios and music channels in Africa, further promoting the record label and their newly signed artist.
Upcoming artist Wizzypro featured Runtown and Patoranking in his single titled Emergency in November 2014 and he shortly followed up with a banging video produced by Patrick Elis.
Ghetto University, Runtown’s debut album was released on the 23rd of November 2015. This albu, featured top local and international artists such as DJ Khaled, Wizkid, Uhuru, Phyno and Anatii. The album was getting so much love and recognition that it shot this young musician to the Top five most streamed artist in Nigeria, grossing over N35 million in profits.
Runtown’s Hit Son “Mad Over You”
Mad over you was dropped by Runtown in November 2016, this track cemented his place as one of Nigeria’s top artists currently. This track was streamed both internationally and locally, catapulting the R&B singer to the BillBoards Twitter Top Tracks 2017. He toured around the globe performing this track, selling out tickets at Indigo 02 arena in London, Howard event centre in Washington and Amazura concert hall in New York.
At the 2017 Glo Mega Music Nationwide Tour, Runtown was a headlining act, he performed across 27 cities in the country alonside other top Nigerian artists such as Olamide, PSquare and Flavour.
Runtown performed his first ever solo sold-out concert in Lagos on 17th April of 2017. It was titled One Night Only. He has since gone on to sell out shows in Kenya, USA and Barbados.
Does Runtown Have a Wife?
Runtown and BabyMama
In May of 2017, Runtown welcomed a baby boy with his baby mama Sarah Leath. He named the baby Zamar. In November of 2015, A UK model alleged that Runtown was the father of her child, she followed up the allegations by posting ultrasound pictures of the baby and claiming the artist has refused to respond to her calls or messages. He refuted this claim.
On the 31st of May 2016, Eric-Manny records went to Federal High Court to receive an injunction stopping Runtown from attending any events, shows or recording songs. These were the factors that led to his request for cancellation of contract with the music record label. The label claimed that Runtown had been attending events without following due process of notifying his management company, therefore defrauding the company of appearance fees. Runtown has come out to categorically deny these allegations. He also accused the record label of extortion, violating the signed agreement, threatening his safety and wellbeing.
Runtown Net Worth
As of 2022, Runtown net worth is estimated to be about $2 million. He is one of the most streamed artistes in Nigeria.
Conclusion
Runtown is notable for his epic music Aside the fact that he is a good musician, he also aimed to become a professional basketball player. In 2005, Runtown relocated back to his home state to support his mother’s political ambitions. He completed his secondary school education here. He currently has enrolled in Fashion Management at a fashion school in New York City, USA.
In March, Runtown acquired a 2017 Lamborghini gallardo. This car is valued at over N100 million, and it is one of the most extravagant cars globally.
