Lagos, Nigeria | NOW THEN DIGITAL — Nigerian artist Mr Eazi has dropped his debut album, “The Evil Genius.” The record is released through his independent label, emPawa Africa, and is available on various digital platforms such as Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audiomack, and Boomplay Music. Mr Eazi, a prominent figure in the Afrobeats genre, has amassed over four billion global streams during his seven-year career and has collaborated with artists like Beyoncé, J Balvin, Bad Bunny, and Nicki Minaj.
“The Evil Genius,” recorded over two years in locations including Accra, Cotonou, Lagos, London, Los Angeles, and New York, combines various musical styles, including Afrobeats, Afropop, gospel, hiplife, highlife, and folklore, creating a pan-African fusion. The album features collaborations with international producers and artists, such as Grammy Award-winning legend Angélique Kidjo, Nigerian star Joeboy, and the South African group Soweto Gospel Choir.
The album is Mr Eazi’s most personal work to date, delving into themes of love, betrayal, loneliness, and family, structured into three distinctive movements. The first section explores his relationship with success and fame, followed by a five-song segment centered on love, and concluding with a suite of spiritual and resonant anthems expressing gratitude.
One of the album’s standout features is its visual art component, with each of the 16 tracks accompanied by a unique physical art piece commissioned from contemporary visual artists across Africa. Mr Eazi’s goal is to foster collaboration between Africa’s pop music industry and its fine art creators, promoting a fusion of creative expressions from eight African nations.
Prior to the album’s release, Mr Eazi conducted multi-sensory exhibition listening experiences. The exhibition premiered at Gallery 1957 in Ghana from September 13 to 18 and then moved to London as part of the renowned 1–54 Contemporary African Art Fair at Somerset House from October 12 to 15. Further exhibition locations in other cities are set to be announced.
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