Tekno joins Mr Eazi’s emPawa Africa as investor and partner

The new arrangement will see Tekno’s imprint releasing new music via emPawa Africa, starting with his first single of 2024 ‘Wayo’. Tekno joins Grammy-winning Haitian DJ and record producer Michaël Brun among the notable investors in the company, which supports independent African artists and labels while preserving their economic and creative freedom.

“With this deal with Tekno and Cartel Music, we are ushering in a new phase of emPawa,” Mr Eazi said. “This phase will see us partnering with African artists at different stages of their careers who want to maintain financial and creative freedom, yet move from talent for hire to equity participation. It’s a first-of-its-kind deal for Afrobeats.”

“This strategic alliance with emPawa promises to be a gamechanger for the African music industry and a beacon of opportunity for artists,” Tekno said. “We look forward to seeing how this partnership will catalyse the growth of emPawa Africa, its artists and the broader African music ecosystem.” 

Tekno, who boasts more than 2.5 billion streams, is behind hits like ‘Duro’, ‘Pana’ and ‘Skeletun’. He is also credited with writing and producing Davido’s global hit ‘If’, as well as Swae Lee and Drake’s ‘Won’t Be Late’, both of which achieved Recording Industry Association of America gold certification.

EmPawa says that since its establishment in 2018, it has provided budding artists with the resources, training and tools necessary for global success. The platform has worked with the likes of Joeboy (Nigeria), Major League DJz (South Africa), Fave (Nigeria), King Promise (Ghana) and DJ Neptune (Nigeria), among many others.

In February, following his exit from emPawa, Joeboy and his newly launched Young Legend label secured a global distribution deal with Warner Music. Earlier this month, Ghanaian dancehall artist J.Derobie, another emPawa alumnus, also launched his own label, Turf Way Records, on which he released his EP Firm After All in May.