Joseph Emeruwa, otherwise known as TruJ, has revealed that he left Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Delta State to pursue a music career in Lagos State.
The rapper and singer of Imo State origin started singing while he was in secondary school in Benin City, Edo State.
“I gained admission into Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, in 2006; but left there to pursue my music in Lagos,” he said.
Emeruwa explained that his mother had died at that time, and since coming up with the school fees became an issue, he opted for Lagos, where he has relatives. Also, a friend had convinced him that his career in music was better served if he relocated to Lagos.
“About that time, I lost my mother and there was a lot of things I couldn’t handle, especially financing my education, and everything just stopped,” he recalled.
Since coming to Lagos, Emeruwa, who started appearing in shows since 1991 at Oba Akenzua Secondary School 2, Benin City, has been working as a cable satellite engineer while doing music on the side.
Another reason he moved to Lagos, according to him, is because he was not getting the satisfaction he desired while doing music in Benin.
“I have actually done a lot of music in Benin, without getting to the height I wanted. So I had a friend who encouraged me to come to Lagos,” explained the singer who was studying architecture at the polytechnic in Auchi.
A lot of music included performances at the Oba Akenzua Cultural Complex in the heart of Benin City, among many other places in ancient city leading to his becoming a household name in music there, as not many shows were complete without him.
However, this star of the Benin music scene has been featuring in concerts at major clubs in Lagos while bidding his time for the big day.
His trip to Lagos since 2007 has not been rosy, but he has made inroads in his music, with two tracks to his name that have been enjoying massive airplay. The two songs, ‘How I Wish’ and ‘Kalele Kalala’ form the bedrock of his soon-to-be-released album.
Produced by Red Light, a popular Benin-based producer, who has also produced popular Benin-based singers like Maleke and Oriri, Emeruwa said the reception he has been getting anytime he performs the song is impressive.
“The genre of my songs is basically hip-hop. Though I do rap, hip-hop as we know is not majorly rap. So, I do hip-hop; that is to say, I can sing and rap,” he stated.
The rapper said he would have since released his album, but has been held back by the finance.
“The fact that I’m an up-and-coming singer makes it difficult. I am not one who has gotten all the financial support to say I want to start spending a lot. To be sincere, the songs I have already were sponsored by someone just from hearing me sing,” he said.
