Runtown

Nigerian artist Runtown made a rapid ascent to stardom in 2014 with the hit single “Gallardo,” a collaboration with fellow Nigerian singer Davido. A singer, songwriter, and producer, Runtown’s Afro-fusion mix of R&B, rap, and reggae helped his 2015 debut album, Ghetto University, pull big numbers. His popularity continued over the next several years with singles like “Mad Over You,” “For Life,” and “Unleash,” featuring Fekky.
Born Douglas Jack Agu in Enugu, he later moved to Lagos with friend and fellow singer Phyno in the late 2000s, where they began to establish themselves with their own label, Penthauz. Runtown found some minor success with early singles like “Party Like It’s 1980” and the Timaya collaboration “Aunty Tolu,” but it was “Gallardo,” his 2014 collaboration with Davido, that brought him into the spotlight. The lead single from his 2015 debut album, Ghetto University, “Gallardo” proved to be a major hit and won the prize for Best Collaboration of the Year at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. Over the next year, Runtown issued several more popular singles from the record including “The Banger” featuring Uhuru and “Bend Down Pause” featuring WizKid. In 2016, he scored an even bigger hit with his ballad “Mad Over You,” a smooth mix of Ghanaian highlife and R&B. 2017′s “For Life” also fared well and in 2019 he issued the EP Tradition. 2020 brought the DarkoVibes and Bella Shmurda collaboration “Boddy Riddim,” as well as “Angel of My Life” with Paul Play. ~ Timothy Monger