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Musician, businessman, and international nomad, Mr Eazi, will release his long-awaited debut solo album on October 27, 2023. This album, a decade in the making, consists of 16 tracks and is now available for pre-order.
The announcement arrives alongside the release of the lead single ‘Chop Time, No Friend’ and its accompanying music video, shot in Dakar, Senegal, by director Allison Swank Owen.
“Chop Time, No Friend” is a playful return to the Banku Music sound Mr Eazi popularized with his early singles and mixtapes. Mr Eazi says,
Chop Time, No Friend is a very common Ghanaian saying, something you will see written on the front or side of buses, It means when you are eating, you don’t think about anybody. You are just focused on your enjoyment.
For Eazi, the track’s lyrics are a way to express how he doesn’t let haters distract him from enjoying the fruits of his success.
It is touching on how people chitchat on me, but I am still focused on my enjoyment, He says. It is a declaration, a celebration of self. I am saying everything I touch turns to gold. You can’t trouble me.
“Chop Time, No Friend” was produced by Andre Vibez, the beatmaker behind Rema and Selena Gomez’s Billboard Top 10 single “Calm Down,” and Ghana’s Killbeatz (Ed Sheeran), a key contributor to Mr Eazi’s breakthrough 2017 mixtape Life Is Eazi, Vol. 1: Accra to Lagos.
Allison Swank Owen, who previously collaborated with Mr Eazi on 2019’s “Lagos to London: The Documentary,” directed the video, inspired by the incredible creative energy of Dakar, Senegal. Mr Eazi said,
We wanted to feature the fine artists, fashion designers, and everyday activities that make Dakar an inspiring place to be
While the title of the forthcoming album remains under wraps for now, Mr Eazi has shared the full list of producers who contributed to the project.
In addition to Andre Vibez and Killbeatz, these include Kel-P (Nigeria), Knucks (U.K.), Michael Brun (Haiti), M.O.G Beatz (Ghana), E Kelly (Nigeria), Type A (Nigeria), Stikmatik (U.K.), Yung Willis (Nigeria), Nonso Amadi (Nigeria/Canada), Phantom (Nigeria), Beat Butcha (U.K.), Venna (U.K.), KDream (Nigeria), and Mr Eazi himself.
In a fusion of African music and art, Mr Eazi has commissioned a different African visual artist to create a unique, physical art piece to represent each track on the album.
For “Chop Time, No Friend,” he tapped Sinalo Ngcaba, a Johannesburg, South Africa-based visual artist whose work also graces the cover of Chop Life, Vol. 1: Mzansi Chronicles, Mr Eazi’s new album with his group, ChopLife Soundsystem.
Mr Eazi is a musical innovator, businessman, and philanthropist. As a recording artist, the Nigerian multihyphenate is the voice behind Afropop hits such as ‘Pour Me Water,’ ‘Skin Tight,’ and ‘Leg Over.’
He has also been involved in groundbreaking collaborations with artists like Beyoncé and J Balvin, and he is one of the pioneers of Banku Music, a fusion of Ghanaian and Nigerian sounds and culture.
As a serial entrepreneur, he founded emPawa Africa in 2018 as a talent incubator program designed to accelerate the careers of African artists.
Hailed by CNN, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Forbes 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’s songs have accumulated over 4 billion streams across DSPs, making him one of the most streamed African artists worldwide
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The post Mr Eazi Teases ‘Chop Time, No Friend’ Ahead of Highly-Anticipated Debut Solo Album Drop on October 27, 2023 appeared first on BellaNaija – Showcasing Africa to the world. Read today!.
