Mr. Eazi, Nigerian Music Star, Teams Up With African Visual Artists – RisePEI

Nigerian singer Mr Eazi, a world popstar identified for hits like “Pores and skin Tight,” “Bankulize,” and “Leg Over,” is collaborating with high African visible artists for his upcoming debut album, the artist advised ARTnews.

For the album rollout, Eazi will work with up to date artists to create distinctive artwork items to accompany every tune. The items can be tokenized and shared with the general public by specially-curated metaverse and bodily occasions.

Eazi has achieved international recognition because the creator of Banku Music, a mix of Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian chord percussions. Eazi was nominated for Best International Act by the BET Awards in 2019 and won a Latin Grammy in 2020, and has collaborated with megastars like Beyonce, J. Balvin, Dangerous Bunny, Nicki Minaj, and Main Lazer, together with different Nigerian stars like Burna Boy.

Eazi first had the thought for the collaboration in 2020 whereas visiting the Noldor Artist Residency, Ghana’s first unbiased artist residency and fellowship program. The yr prior, Eazi had launched emPawa Africa, a talent incubator to support rising African artists.

“I began to see the similarities between the music house and the artwork house when it comes to the enterprise mannequin my firm emPawa does … [which] finds artists, musicians and works with them, nurtures them and their careers, and offers them the alternatives to interrupt into the world,” mentioned Eazi. 

Whereas visiting Noldor, Eazi met artists and bought items and talked with the residency’s founder, director, and his “good good friend,” Joseph Awuah-Darko.

“The extra I thought of this and began to document my album, the extra I began to consider a approach that I may seize the essence of my music,” mentioned Eazi. “I simply was considering how do I inform this story in each approach? I wished to inform the story within the music. I wished to inform the story within the video. I need to inform the story in each approach potential.”

Impressed by that sentiment, Eazi determined to collaborate with artists in every nation the place he information the album. The artist-entrepreneur is all the time touring — once we spoke he had simply accomplished a Enterprise of Leisure, Media, and Sports activities program at Harvard Enterprise College – and he’s at present constructing emPawa Africa, emPawa Distribution, a digital music aggregator, and different ventures.

“What this album means to me is a journey into new territory,” mentioned Eazi. “It’s imagined to be an immersive expertise the place once you take a look at this album, you say ‘oh wow, Eazi’s album was a fantastic exhibition.’”

The primary single on the album, “Legalize,” options paintings by Beninese painter Patricorel, who painted the piece stay throughout the debut efficiency of the tune at an intimate, invite-only live performance in Lagos. 

The pair met when Eazi visited Cotonou, the capital of Benin, whereas recording the album.

The tune, a heartfelt ode to his accomplice,  Nigerian actress Temi Otedola, is one among Eazi’s most private tracks but. Eazi and Otedola received engaged in April whereas taking pictures the music video for “Legalize” in Venice.

Take a look at the brand new single, and the collaboration with Patricorel, right here:

Eazi mentioned that he hopes the fantastic artwork collaboration, like his music movies, helps inform the story of the music.

“I began to suppose … ‘Why don’t I work with artists to have the ability to co-create items that symbolize the music in order that captures the essence of the music on a canvas?’” mentioned Eazi

The collaboration builds on Eazi’s ongoing initiative to assist African creatives by his platform as an entrepreneur and a world music star and to “construct cultural capital for creatives throughout the continent.” 

“I really feel like with this collaboration with the artists, we’re [making] this accessible to my followers who would have usually not seemed in the direction of artwork on this kind and introducing them to this world,” he mentioned. 

“And taking the veil away from [the thinking] that this one is for ‘dadabees [a West African term for children of wealthy family] or the elite.”