By Staff Writer
Afropop superstar MR EAZI has shared his new EP, Something Else, available now on all DSPs via Eazi’s own Banku Music label and emPawa Africa.
Released Feb 19th 2021, Something Else follows a busy year for the Nigerian recording artist and music business innovator. 2020 saw Eazi appear on the cover of Billboard; expand his emPawa Africa talent incubator; launch the Africa Music Fund, an innovative financial vehicle designed to make capital available to African artists; and release successful collaborations with Major Lazer/Nicki Minaj (“Oh My Gawd’) and J Balvin (“Lento”). “Nobody,” his link-up with DJ Neptune and #emPawa100 alum Joeboy, was the No. 1 single of the year in Nigeria, generating over 100 million streams worldwide.
For Eazi, Something Else represents a “calm before the storm” as he continues his journey from the artist on breakthrough projects Life Is Eazi, Vol. 1 – Accra To Lagos (2017) and Life Is Eazi, Vol. 2 – Lagos to London (2018) to a globe-spanning entrepreneur and thought leader.
“I spent the entire year working on building emPawa Africa and morphing into ‘Don Eazi’, the mogul,” MR EAZI says of 2020. “I almost had no time to record. This project was inspired by Kel P and Killertunes, who kept coming to meet me in Accra until I finally recorded ‘The Don.’ That opened the door for me getting back in the studio.”
Produced by Killertunes and E Kelly, lead single “The Don” is a dramatic, opera-inspired slice of afro trap. On “E Be Mad,” the album’s second single, producer Kel P (Burna Boy, Skip Marley) surrounds Eazi’s sonorous tenor with the textures of vintage Ghanaian highlife music. “‘E Be Mad’ is a love song dedicated to everyone in a long relationship wanting to take it further,” Eazi explains.
In addition to Killertunes, E Kelly and Kel P, Something Else features production from Spellz, Blaq Jerzee, and Jaylon. Its lone guest feature (on “Cherry”) comes from Kenya’s Xenia Manasseh, one of 30 emerging artists handpicked by Eazi to participate in the #emPawa30 talent incubator.
MR EAZI is currently in Ghana, where he has just begun work on his upcoming third album, tentatively titled Life is Eazi, Vol. 3.
SOMETHING ELSE TRACKLIST:
1. The Don (produced by Killertunes and E Kelly)
2. Love For You (produced by Spellz)
3. Cherry feat. Xenia Manasseh (produced by Blaq Jerzee)
4. Saudi Arabia (produced by Blaq Jerzee)
5. E Be Mad (produced by Kel P and Jaylon)
