Vanessa Obioha
After much anticipation, Mr Eazi’s debut album, ‘The Evil Genius,’ is finally out, now available under the artist’s emPawa Africa label.
Meticulously crafted across diverse 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’ features some of Mr Eazi’s most personal work, as he dives deeply into subjects like love, betrayal, loneliness, and family, expressed through three distinctive acts.
The album boasts a remarkable lineup of guest features, with contributions from luminaries like Angelique Kidjo from Benin, Grammy-winning Soweto Gospel Choir from South Africa, Efya from Ghana, and Nigerian artists Tekno, Whoisakin and Joeboy.
Contributing producers include Kel-P (Nigeria), Knucks (U.K.), Michael Brun (Haiti), Andre Vibez (Nigeria), Yung Willis (Nigeria), and Nonso Amadi (Nigeria/Canada) among others.
Recognizing a dearth of meaningful collaboration between Africa’s burgeoning pop music scene and the continent’s fine art creators, Mr Eazi selected 13 artists from eight African countries to create a unique, physical art piece to represent each of the album’s 16 tracks, thereby adding the role of art curator and patron to his already impressive repertoire.
As part of the rollout, Mr Eazi has been inviting the public to experience the music alongside the art at multi-sensory exhibition listening experiences. The first two of these events were held in Accra, Ghana at Gallery 1957 and in the U.K. during the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair at Somerset House in London from October 12-15. For the album’s cover art, Mr Eazi collaborated with the celebrated Nigerian stylist, designer, and photographer Daniel Obasi, known for his work with luminaries such as Beyoncé and Louis Vuitton.
