Mr Eazi launches new group ChopLife SoundSystem

The group will also consist of Kenyan-born, UK-based Afrobeats selector and tastemaker DJ Edu, as its resident DJ, along with an informal crew of contributing DJs, artists and producers from across the continent. Mr Eazi will be the primary vocalist on ChopLife SoundSystem recordings, and will also serve as its MC at live events.

ChopLife SoundSystem derives its name from the popular West African pidgin slang phrase chop life, meaning enjoy life, along with the traditional sound systems that are the backbone of Jamaican music culture. In Jamaican parlance, a sound system is a mobile crew of DJs and MCs, typically financed by a prominent local businessperson, who present music together at events such as street parties, clubs and festivals.

Recent years have seen international outfits like producer Diplo’s Major Lazer project put their own spin on the format, functioning as both creators and performers of original music, as well as a tastemaking DJ crew. With ChopLife SoundSystem, Mr Eazi is putting a modern, African twist on sound system culture, incorporating genres like amapiano and Afrobeats to curate the ultimate African party experience – both on original studio recordings and at curated live events.

Inspired to take the vibe and spirit of his successful Ghana holiday party Detty Rave on the road, Mr Eazi soft launched ChopLife SoundSystem with events in Cotonou (Benin), Stockholm (Sweden) and Kigali (Rwanda) in 2022. Mr Eazi will announce further details about ChopLife SoundSystem, including new music releases, partnerships and live events, later this Spring.

“I’m going back to where I started from, hosting the biggest parties at uni,” Mr Eazi said. “That’s how I started singing. I am looking forward to this new and fun ride, and I can’t wait for all the music to start dropping and the accompanying live experience.”

Mr Eazi is a musical innovator, business leader and philanthropist. As a recording artist, the Nigerian multi-hyphenate is the voice behind Afropop hits ‘Pour Me Water’, ‘Skin Tight’ and ‘Leg Over’, as well as groundbreaking collaborations with the likes of Beyoncé and J Balvin, and the creator of banku music, a fusion of Ghanaian and Nigerian sounds and culture.

A serial entrepreneur, he founded emPawa Africa in 2018 as a talent incubator programme designed to accelerate the careers of African artists. Hailed for its innovative approach to expanding African music’s global reach, emPawa Africa has since grown into one of Africa’s largest independent music companies, with a track record of breaking global stars like Joeboy and Major League DJz. Mr Eazi has clocked over 4 billion streams of his songs across DSPs, making him one of the most streamed African artists worldwide.

DJ Edu is an internationally known African music expert. As well as being an in-demand club DJ worldwide, DJ Edu has been heavily championing the sounds of young Africa on BBC Radio 1Xtra for over 15 years now. His show, Destination Africa, is the now the longest-running programme on the network. In that time, he has not only been instrumental in breaking the careers of many artists from across the continent but also been a pivotal wheel in the exciting explosion of Afrobeats and Afropop music worldwide.