Afropop superstar\u00a0Mr Eazi\u00a0has shared his long-awaited debut album,\u00a0The Evil Genius, out now via the artist\u2019s own\u00a0emPawa Africa\u00a0imprint. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Listen here:\u00a0https:\/\/empawaafrica.lnk.to\/TheEvilGenius<\/u><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recorded between Ouidah and Cotonou, Benin; Kigali, Rwanda; Accra and Kokrobite, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria; London; Los Angeles; and New York City,\u00a0The Evil Genius<\/em>\u00a0features some of\u00a0Mr Eazi<\/strong>\u2019s most personal work, as he dives deeply into subjects like love, betrayal, loneliness, and family, expressed through three distinctive acts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Expanding upon Banku ,\u00a0Mr Eazi<\/strong>\u2019s distinctive spin on contemporary Afropop, the project seamlessly pulls together an eclectic range of styles and influences across its 16 tracks, from Ghanaian highlife to grime to gospel, to create a pan-African masterpiece.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Guest features on the project include\u00a0Angelique Kidjo\u00a0(Benin),\u00a0Efya\u00a0(Ghana),\u00a0Whoisakin\u00a0(Nigeria) and three-time Grammy winners\u00a0Soweto Gospel Choir\u00a0(South Africa), who add a heavenly choral arrangement to the recent single,\u00a0\u201cExit.\u201d<\/u>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tekno, the Nigerian afrobeats star whose rise in the mid 2010s corresponded with\u00a0Mr Eazi\u2019s own, appears on \u201cJamboree\u201d (Watch visualizer\u00a0HERE<\/u>), a return to the \u2018pon pon<\/em>\u2019 sound which defined Afrobeats at the time when the two were first emerging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Nigerian music star\u00a0Joeboy, who first Mr Eazi discovered and signed to\u00a0emPawa Africa\u00a0in 2018, reconnects with his mentor on the playful \u201cZuzulakate,\u201d reminding listeners of their impeccable chemistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Producers who contributed to The Evil Genius include\u00a0Kel-P\u00a0(Nigeria),\u00a0Knucks\u00a0(U.K.),\u00a0Michael Brun(Haiti),\u00a0Andre Vibez\u00a0(Nigeria),\u00a0Yung Willis\u00a0(Nigeria),\u00a0Nonso Amadi\u00a0(Nigeria\/Canada),\u00a0KillBeatz(Ghana),\u00a0M.O.G Beatz\u00a0(Ghana),\u00a0E Kelly\u00a0(Nigeria),\u00a0Type A\u00a0(Nigeria),\u00a0Stikmatik\u00a0(U.K.),\u00a0Phantom(Nigeria),\u00a0Venna\u00a0(U.K.),\u00a0KDream\u00a0(Nigeria) and\u00a0Mr Eazi\u00a0himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a first-of-its-kind fusion of African music and art,\u00a0Mr Eazi\u00a0commissioned visual artists from across the continent to create a unique, physical art piece to represent each of the album\u2019s 16 tracks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While traveling the continent completing the album,\u00a0Mr Eazi\u00a0personally handpicked 13 artists, representing eight African countries, adding art curator and patron to his already extensive resume of pursuits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The result is a unique and ambitious pan-African multimedia project that has earned notice from art-world figures like Marina Abramovi\u0107, and media including\u00a0ARTNews<\/u>\u00a0and\u00a0The Guardian<\/u>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n View\/Download the art\u00a0HERE<\/u>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the project rolls out,\u00a0Mr Eazi\u00a0is\u00a0inviting the public to experience the music alongside the art at\u00a0multi-sensory exhibition listening experiences. The exhibition debuted this month in Accra, Ghana before moving on to London, where it was featured as\u00a0a special project<\/u>\u00a0at the\u00a01-54 Contemporary African Art Fair. Additional activations will be announced soon.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Visual artists who contributed to The Evil Genius\u00a0are Alpha ODH (Nairobi, Kenya), Chinaza Nkemka (Lagos, Nigeria), Dominique Zinkpe (Cotonou, Benin), Edozie Anedu (Lagos, Nigeria), Elangwe Sesse (Cameroon), Ikechukwu Christian (Lagos, Nigeria), Kufa Makwavarara (Zimbabwe\/South Africa).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Others are Patricorel (Cotonou, Benin), Samuel Tete-Katchan (Accra, Ghana), Sandra Seghir (Dakar, Senegal), Sinalo Ngcaba (Cape Town, South Africa), Tammy Sinclair (Abuja, Nigeria) and Tesprit (Lom\u00e9, Togo).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The art pieces and the stories behind them are also collected in a limited-edition, coffee-table book from Mr Eazi, coming soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the album\u2019s cover art,\u00a0Mr Eazi\u00a0collaborated with celebrated Nigerian stylist, designer and photographer\u00a0Daniel Obasi, known for his work with Beyonc\u00e9 and Louis Vuitton. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Obasi shot, styled and designed the album\u2019s cover image, letting lyrics from \u201cOrokoro,\u201d \u201cChop Time, No Friend\u201d and \u201cAdvice\u201d guide its dense narrative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn a metaphysical and surrealist portrayal, the cover art draws from the composition and ideals of the last supper and David\u2019s prayer of Psalm 23,\u201d Obasi says. \u201cSpirituality, love, confidence, betrayal and thanksgiving are themes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier this week, Mr Eazi issued the video for \u201cExit\u201d featuring South African music legends\u00a0Soweto Gospel Choir, alongside infectious production from Grammy-winning Nigerian beatmaker\u00a0Kel-P(Burna Boy, Wizkid). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Set atop South Africa\u2019s dramatic Drakensberg escarpment, amidst the oldest mountain range in the world, the”Exit” video delivers heavenly visuals befitting of the song’s spiritual theme.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-441-1024x1024.png\")
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