Douglas Jack Agua, stage name, Runtown, is a fast rising Nigerian artiste. His hit song, Garllado featuring Davido received massive airplay. In this interview, he tells Newton-Ray Ukwuoma all about his musical career.
People call you Mr Successful. I am sure they want to know your story.
Runtown started music professionally in 2010. That was when I recorded Party like 1980. Then I used to go around studios, trying to meet a lot of people. Then I was staying with Timaya. He was the one that groomed me. We were also working with Phyno in a partnership called Penthouse. We released the song Party Like 1980. The song started getting a lot of reviews. It was a rough journey then. With time a lot of people started accepting the song. When we wanted to do the remix of the song, I felt we should collaborate with Davido. But when we went to David(o)’s place, he heard Garllado and immediately wanted to be part of the song. So, instead of Party Like 1980, we remixed Garllado which featured David(o). That was the song that brought me to lime light and since then I have been doing a lot of gigs in and outside the country. A lot of other African countries have invited me to perform the song in their country. Garllado is a song with a beat that seems to cut across other musical cultures. So, the song has been attracting a lot of attention from other African countries.
The Nigerian music creation seems to have transformed quite well. Our musicians tend to produce songs that have crossover appeal. Would you say you have been influenced by this new trend?
Yes. I am. In my opinion that is what music should be. I believe that every musician should be a world artiste. It is all about the world. That is why we have World Music Awards. It is not just Nigeria or Africa, we have to reach out to the world. They might not necessarily understand your language, because music has a language of its own, but the sound should have a universal appeal.
How many shows have you been to outside Nigeria?
I have been to a number of African countries since Garllado.
Can you name them?
I have been to South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Rwanda. And we have shows in UK and US coming later in the year.
All right. But if we take away the sound from your music, what message do you pass at least, to those that understand your language?
I talk about success in my music. It is a way to encourage the youth to keep doing what they are doing. When I recorded Successful, I didn’t even have a car. But the song is a prophecy. If you understand the wordings of that song, you will realise I was talking about the future. And here we are. Things are getting better. I have a car. I try to tell the youth to keep doing what they are doing. Do not let anybody tell you success is not attainable. Be positive and keep pushing forward.
How successful are you right now?
(laughs) I am as successful as my dreams. I feel like I just got started. I have not achieved much and I am not relenting.
How is five years’ time going to be like for you?
I should have gotten a Grammy award on shelf.
You started you career with the likes of Timaya and Phyno. How has it been?
They have been very supportive all through even till date. Timaya taught me the professional side of my music. And I learnt the business side from Phyno. You know in the music industry it is not about the music alone, the business aspect is also very important. You have learn how to manage your brand, learn how to stand out, how to build your reputation and generally how to carve a niche for yourself in the industry. I picked all of these from Phyno. He is a guy that really understands the business aspect of music so well.
Have you been able to carve a niche for yourself?
Yes. I have a lot of stuff that make me stand out of the pack. I have my own style of dressing, that is, the agbada attire. And people have come to associate a couple of phrases or sound with me. It is apparently not what my music is about, but these are signatures, you would like to call them, of my brand. So that even if I am doing a gospel music, you would always know that it is Runtown –the voice would always be distinct.
You didn’t add that you also use the word ‘emergency’ in some of your songs.
Emergency is a name of my song, the song I did with Patoranking and Skales. I used it once in another song.
We also have the same word used in Aye song by Davido.
It is normal. Emergency is an English word. Anybody can use it. You just used it now.
People are saying you sold the Aye song to Davido. What would you have to say?
(Brief silence) A lot of people have been asking me that question. David(o) has had a number of interviews where he addressed how the song came about. So if you want to learn more about Aye ask David or read his interviews.
But did you sell the song to him?
The first time I heard about that, I felt it was nobody’s business to raise issues like that. I know we are in Africa and people like to ask questions, but it is certainly not my business.
We need clarification from you?
You cannot clarify from me.
Are you saying you didn’t sell the song to him?
Maybe the song sounds like something I would have done myself, perhaps that is why people are saying so.
What is the idea behind the song Emergency?
I was downstairs in Timaya’s house when I heard a beat from upstairs. Someone was obviously making a beat because it was new and catchy. So, I literally ran upstairs to meet the guy. I told him l would love to make music with that beat. The circumstances that surrounded my discovery of the beat made me title the song Emergency. We need a title that would stand out. I do not like using generic names for my songs. Party Like 1980, Successful, Domot, these are titles that would likely raise curiosity because they stand out. That is how we chose emergency for that song.
Talking about your song titles, can you tell us the meaning of the word, Domot?
Domot is pidgin for the front part of your house. You often hear old people use the word to refer to the door or the entrance to the house. Nigerians would say the frontage. Yeah that is what domot means.
How exactly does it relate to the song?
It is a statement which means that I am at the domot of the industry. It means that Runtown is now in the front of everything in the industry.
How do you make your music? What aspect of life furnishes you with inspiration?
God is the giver of talent and the inspiration that comes with it. Places I go to; people I meet, the street and life in general inspire me.
Where did you spend your early life in?
I grew up in Abuja and Lagos. I moved to Enugu in 2002. I stayed there till 2008. I met Phyno early 2009. We moved to Lagos together and now we are here. When I moved to Lagos, I was leaving with J Martins. I was also featured in some of his songs. We worked together for a long time. I met Timaya from J Martins.
Were you ever in the choir?
I was never in the choir. Funny enough, I went to a seminary school. And whenever it was choir rehearsal I would run into hiding. I was the book, book kind of kid. I was always reading. And it surprises a lot of my friends why I finally chose music as a career.
Why did you choose music?
Music stole my heart. I would say music is my first love. I used to play basket ball. In fact, at some point, I thought I would end up as a basketball player. But in the process I met music; we fell in love and music and I got married. That was in 2005.
How did you meet music?
While in school we used to have time for mimes and songs. At some point I felt I could do it. I decided to go to a studio to try it out. There was also a time I wanted to go for an audition (that was how I met Phyno). I went to his studio to do the beat of the song. The song was Chris Brown’s instrumental. When Phyno remade the beat, I was surprised that a Nigerian producer could do the same sound as a producer from America. That was how we clicked and started working together. We changed the sound. We changed the game, putting the whole Igbo originality right back into the map.
Are you getting any positive reviews for infusing indigenous language into our music?
Yes. Its acceptance has been awesome. In fact, by the time we are done even the white man would begin to speak Igbo. I believe music is the fastest medium to reach out to the world. Music is the best way to spread our heritage and identity across the globe. And with good music, our culture and essence could be brought to the fore again.
You also wear agbada in some of your videos. In fact, it is one of your signatures? Does it pass the same message?
Yes. It is the same message of unity. I preach one love, one people. My agbada is a symbol of our cultural unity.
I see a tattoo in your left hand. What does it say?
I love tattoos, meaningful tattoos. I have two, one in my hand and in my neck. My neck tattoos means a puppy of God. I believe and love God. God made me who I am. I believe that my seminary school days taught me lessons in discipline, trust and obedience to God. I also pay my tithe.
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