Runtown is in the news today because of
his
contract termination with EricMany
Entertainment
The label owned by Prince Okwudili
Umenyiora [aka Dilly], the C.E.O of
Dilly
Motors signed the act in May 2014,
after
the singer, songwriter and producer had
burst on to the scene with hit singles
such
as ‘Gallardo’, and ‘Successful’.
The partnership had birthed many great
moments for Nigerian music, with an
album
“Ghetto University”, released last year
to
popular acclaim.
But today, new information which
includes a
court injunction and legal papers have
come
to light, with the singer also terminating
his contract due to many breaches of the
agreement, threat to life and extortion.
Pulse reached out to Runtown for an
interview about the situation, and the
singer bared his heart, sharing a tale of
bullying, threats to life, mental torture,
and extortion.
According to the singer, he had stared
down
the barrel of a gun pulled on him by his
label boss, and have had to endure
multiple
verbal abuses and a refusal to release his
money.
Early Days
I signed with Eric Many in May 2014,
the
first one is renewable upon 48 months,
and
the second one is renewable upon 60
months.
We started working. Before EricMany I
already did the ‘Gallardo’ video on my
own,
I paid N4.5 million for the video,
exclusive
of the money I used to push the song.
You
all know much it takes to push a song in
Africa. I also did ‘Successful’, on my
own.
The first video we did together was
‘Domot’, I noticed that when money
started
coming in from shows, I was having a lot
bookings, and I noticed that the label
started taking all the money. The
contract
stated that I get my percentage which is
35%, until when we recoup like half of
what we invest in the career, then we
will
renegotiate the contract. I accepted and
said let’s go ahead.
Money Problems and DJ Khaled
We started running, we went for shows
and
everything, and when I requested for my
35%, problem. I never got any 35% on it.
They would always say, ‘We are pushing,
we
need to put more stuff (money) to push.
The thing went on until 2015, when I
was
working on my album. I needed to do
some
collaborations, like the one I did with DJ
Khaled. I was in the states and out of
my
money, I spent between $40,000 and
$50,000, and that’s just the ones I can
account for. I spent more than that on
the
collabo.
I was meant to do the video the next
day in
New York, I was waiting for Khaled.
When
they got to New York, I got a call from
the
label saying that I need to leave New
York
immediately. I couldn’t even understand
what was wrong with what I did. I
expected them to tell me “Well done, I
saw
what you did with DJ Khaled. It turned
a
problem, and they said I need to fly to
South Africa for a video shoot.
Gun Battle
In 2014, I went to London, and the label
started calling me and saying that ‘Why
didn’t I tell anyone before going to
London?’ I didn’t go to London for shows
or
anything, I went there for vacation.
When I
got back, I went to Mr Dilly’s house,
and
he started ranting, and asking ‘Why did I
travel?’ I told him that it’s just like
travelling to Enugu to see my mum, that
it’s just London, just like anywhere, that
the contract does not state that I cannot
have personal travels.
The next thing, He (Dilly) pulled out a
gun,
and threatened me, and said he was going
to f***k me up. I felt scared and
confused.
I didn’t go to London to do a show and
they
found out. I went there for my vacation.
So
the threats kept going on.
No Nicki Minaj
When I was about to drop the video, he
called me out of the blues, that he was
going to get Nicki Minaj on the album. I
accepted, being that a Nicki Minaj will
be
good on the album. When we were in the
US, he kept on calling and asking if we
can
get across to Minaj. He couldn’t come to
the US himself because he is banned by
the
US Government to return to the country.
He
has fraud issues.
He kept on calling about the Nicki Minaj
people that he is ready to play. Then he
brought a contract extension for another
two years stating that if he pays for the
Nicki Minaj deal, then he will need a 2-
year extension to recoup his investment. I
wasn’t around then, so the management
handed the contract to a guy we worked
with, and dropped it there. Neither I nor
my
manager, Aneto-Okeke Bugwu, were
around.
He called me on the phone threatening
me
that if I don’t extend the contract, he
will
kill me, and bury my career, and that he
isn’t going to release my album.
The Last Straw
Fast
forward to 2016, I had a show with a
brewery brand, where they paid N5
million.
I had been complaining about not
receiving
my percentage. I had a show with the
breweries, I also had a show in Trinidad
and
Tobago in February. I needed the money.
When we got to Trinidad, I asked him for
my percentage. All those shows, I funded
the logistics. All through our deal, I
have
been funding my travel and show
logistics. I
told him that this is 2016 that I can no
longer be working without being paid my
percentage.
Before I went on the trip, we had an
agreement that we were going to do the
DJ
Khaled music video. Due to Khaled’s pop
relevance via Snapchat and his new deal
with Roc Nation, his price had gone up,
and
they were requesting for more money.
Dilly
agreed that we were going to do it.
When
we got to Trinidad, I didn’t get my
percentage money, and we flew to Miami
to
meet DJ Khaled. I even reached out to
someone that works with Rick Ross, and
they called Khaled who on loudspeaker
confirmed that he was ready for the next
Tuesday. We called the label, and
informed
them, and Dilly says that there is no
money, that we should leave.
I was the one that sponsored the audio,
that was contained on the album, and
the
same album that was selling, I was not
receiving any money from the sales. I
then
told him that ‘If you won’t give me my
percentage off everything that I was
making…If he had been giving me my
35%,
things like the Khaled video, I wouldn’t
have bothered him. I would have funded
it
myself. I told him “you won’t do what
the
label is meant to do, and you won’t give
me
my percentage, what do you want me to
do?’
We didn’t do the video anymore, and we
returned from Miami, that was when I
now
sent the termination of the contract. I
had
already told him orally. I also sent him
an
email asking for my 35% on every deal we
have had.
New Threats
That was when we began to go back and
forth, and he began to threaten me. He
also
said that two of his watches are worth
more
than that contract, that he doesn’t need
the money. That he will just bury my
career, and that I should be wise. He
likened my case to the Late Dagrin, he
said
I shouldn’t allow his counterparts take
over.
I have email proof of everything.
When he saw that there was no way we
could go forward if he didn’t give me my
percentage, he then agreed to hand it
over.
We were going to do the ‘Lagos to
Kampala’
video, I heard that there were two
payments made for a show at N3.5
million,
and another from digital sales for 2.7
million. I asked him for my percentage,
and
story entered again. That was when I got
fed up with everything. I got back after
the video shoot.
When I got back to Nigeria, he was
trying
to get everything, so a prom event payed
in
Port Harcourt and he gave me my
percentage. There was also another show
in
London where he paid, and another show
with a beverage brand. I only got my
percentage thrice in the past two years,
and
that was because I used a third party to
book the show and received payment. I
used
my manager to receive the money and
split
it based on the agreement. He began to
make claims that my manager stole his
money. If they had paid him directly, I
wouldn’t have gotten my cut.
Legal Silence
Then I stopped talking to him, and he
tried
to get people to get me to talk to him. I
told him that we should keep it on a
business level, and that we should stick
to
the contract, and that we shouldn’t be
friends. He still kept up threatening me.
He
then filed for an injunction, and then we
also had the beverage and the prom show.
I
have a US tour in June, and he wrote the
organizer requesting for all the money to
be
paid to him.
He then filed an injunction, and in it, he
claims that he knows nothing about the
US
shows. When we had issues, and I left
the
house (the record label provided), he sent
me a long email stating that this is the
beginning of my downfall, and if I don’t
talk to him, he is going to deal with me.
I never reacted violently to all his
threats.
Even when he told us to come to his
house
for a meeting, I told him no because I
was
scared. Because he had pulled a gun to
my
face in his house before. He told me
stories
of how killed people in prison, and that
anyone that f*** with him, that he will
kill
the person. Of course I won’t go to that
kind of person’s house. What if I go
there
and anything happens to me?
I said I won’t go there, that we have to
come to the office the label has been
borrowing in Lekki Phase 1 (Lagos). We
agreed to come to the office to do the
meeting. Then he said that it was
disrespectful, that he was not going to
come to the office and sit with those
small
boys. When he filed the injunction, that’s
when I brought in my lawyer.
I want to terminate the contract,
because
they have been breaching it all these
times,
and I don’t want to go on with it again.

source: http://www.wakanewz.com/2016/06/how-my-label-boss-pulled-gun-on-me.html?m=1

This his CEO must be related to suge knight

WHY

When I was about to drop the video, he called me out of the blues, that he was going to get Nicki Minaj on the album. I accepted, being that a Nicki Minaj will be good on the album. When we were in the US, he kept on calling and asking if we can get across to Minaj. He couldn’t come to
the US himself because he is banned by the US Government to return to the country. He has fraud issues.

seriously

O ga ooo

who is runtown ?

CaroLyner:
who is runtown ?

A runner from a small town representing us at the rio olympics.

waxxydude:
A runner from a small town representing us at the rio olympics.

oh really? he best come back with a gold medal then.

menstrualpad:
When I was about to drop the video, he called me out of the blues, that he was going to get Nicki Minaj on the album. I accepted, being that a Nicki Minaj will be good on the album. When we were in the US, he kept on calling and asking if we can get across to Minaj. He couldn’t come to
the US himself because he is banned by the US Government to return to the country. He has fraud issues.

Why are you surprised? The C.E.O is a criminal! I blame Runtown for not doing his research on his young label boss. Just google his name and read. As for runtown, he should better return back to phyno

Meanwhile you mean runtown did a song with that "orobo" called DJ khaled How come i didn't hear about it?

Why do record label owners exploit young artists
Even if they were gullible to have accepted their terms and conditions cos of the desperation to 'blow', don't they realize that they will one day wise up

naijaboiy:

What part of the world do you reside?

what has that got to do with anything?

poverty will lead you to desperation,desperation will lead you to sign slave contract. God Be With U Runtown.

CaroLyner:
who is runtown ?

a guy who loves to run around town

he may represent us in d nxt Olympics

The CEO is damn too wicked...smh

talktonase:
This his CEO must be related to suge knight

I really wonder why anyone will sign a contract with Dilly ..when I looked into Dillys eyes one on the road in Lekki face one I saw death in his eyes..he looked calm but very mean and cold..Rundown needs to be careful with that dude it won't end like Banky W and wizkid ooo..

Everyone knows this Dilly guy fled the US because of credit card fraud na. He can never go there again. Interestingly, he is also Naeto C's in-law (Naeto's wife is his half sister).

Hmm runtown pushed his 'gallardo' and 'successful' tracks by himself with over 4.7million of his own money?!...ok dats a real boss move ryt there, salute to u jor runtown kip giving us the hits...'Kampala' still bursting up d airways...but wait o when dat guy na up n coming him get 4.7mill 4 bank..d hustle is real!