On Friday, October 27, 2023, the Afropop sensation Mr Eazi finally dropped his highly anticipated debut album, ‘The Evil Genius,’ now available through his own emPawa Africa label.
Listen here: https://empawaafrica.lnk.to/TheEvilGenius
This musical masterpiece was crafted across various locations, including Ouidah and Cotonou in Benin, Kigali in Rwanda, Accra and Kokrobite in Ghana, Lagos in Nigeria, London, Los Angeles, and New York City. ‘The Evil Genius’ takes listeners on a journey through Mr Eazi’s personal experiences, delving deep into themes of love, betrayal, loneliness, and family, cleverly organized into three distinct acts.
The album boasts an impressive lineup of guest artists, including Angelique Kidjo from Benin, Tekno from Nigeria, Efya from Ghana, Whoisakin from Nigeria, Joeboy from Nigeria, and the three-time Grammy-winning Soweto Gospel Choir from South Africa. It also features contributions from a diverse group of producers, such as Kel-P from Nigeria, Knucks from the U.K., Michael Brun from Haiti, Andre Vibez from Nigeria, Yung Willis from Nigeria and more.
ic and visual art, Mr Eazi collaborated with artists from across the continent to create distinctive physical artworks representing each of the album’s 16 tracks. As he traveled through Africa to record the album, Mr Eazi developed relationships with visual artists whose work he encountered along the way. Recognizing a lack of meaningful collaboration between Africa’s booming pop music scene and the continent’s fine art creators, Mr Eazi personally selected 13 artists from eight African countries, adding the role of art curator and patron to his already extensive list of endeavors.
For the album’s cover art, Mr Eazi joined forces with the renowned Nigerian stylist, designer, and photographer Daniel Obasi, known for his work with Beyoncé and Louis Vuitton.