Nigeria's Mr Eazi talks to CNN about his independent music journey

18 Aug 2020 - 17:48

Nigerian Afropop star Mr Eazi said in a CNN interview broadcast on 15 August that his decision to walk away from a life-changing international record deal in 2018 was due to a desire to play a more active role toward strengthening the continent’s music industry.

Mr Eazi.

The musician was discussing his journey as a successful independent artist on the African Voices Changemakers programme, which highlights innovative Africans driving social change.

“I thought that the ecosystem was bigger than that amount,” the 'Leg Over' hitmaker said in a video call from his home outside London. “I want to be an industry player not just for myself. I want to create value, and wherever there is value, there will be profit.”

The singer, who heads the emPawa Africa incubator programme for emerging artists, said it was time for discussions with African creatives to move away from the talent-for-hire model to one that creates real opportunities.

Over the years, Mr Eazi, has established a number of business platforms for African creatives, including the recently launched $20m African Music Fund. He told CNN that tech and entrepreneurship were foundational to his creative enterprises. EmPawa Africa, for instance, emerged along with his desire to give back, and was based on his idea to introduce incubator-style investment into the music business. He added that his tech and marketing background, together with his creative inclinations, place him in a central lane of the music business.

“I’m really blessed to be in a position where I understand business, entrepreneurship and investment, and at the same time, I’m a creative ... There just needs to be investment, because the talent is there, so how can the private sector partner with not just people like myself but other creative entrepreneurs in Africa and have responsible investment?”

About his recent Billboard feature alongside Davido and Tiwa Savage, which he likened to a “market research document for the rest of the world”, Mr Eazi said that it was further indication that “it is really time for Africa and everybody is going to be looking to invest in music.”

Mr Eazi also touched on the music projects he has lined up, including a Spanish album and high-profile collaborations with artists like Nicki Minaj and Major Lazer. “I’m just having fun musically and expressing myself with no limits,” he said.