Mr Eazi, the music superstar, business innovator, and globe wanderer, will release his long-awaited, decade-long debut solo album on October 27, 2023. Pre-orders for the 16-track album are now open. here.
The news coincides with the release of the lead single “Chop Time, No Friend,” as well as the accompanying music video, directed by Allison Swank Owen and shot in Dakar, Senegal.
“Chop Time, No Friend” is a playful return to the Banku Music sound Mr Eazi pioneered and popularized with his early singles and mixtapes. “Chop Time, No Friend is a very common Ghanaian saying, something you will see written on the front or side of buses,” Mr Eazi says. “It means when you are eating, you don’t think about anybody. You are just focused on your enjoyment.”
For Eazi, the words of the song show how he doesn’t let haters keep him from enjoying the rewards of his accomplishment. “It is touching on how people chitchat about me, but I am still focused on my enjoyment,” Eazi explains. “It’s a declaration, a self-celebration.” I’m claiming that everything I touch turns to gold. You are not permitted to bother me.”
“Chop Time, No Friend” was created by Andre Vibez, the beatmaker behind Rema and Selena Gomez’s Billboard Top 10 hit “Calm Down,” as well as Ghana’s Killbeatz (Ed Sheeran), a crucial contributor to Mr Eazi’s breakout 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,” created the film, which was inspired by Dakar, Senegal’s tremendous creative spirit. “We wanted to highlight the fine artists, fashion designers, and everyday activities that make Dakar such an inspiring place to visit,” Mr Eazi explained.
While the title of the upcoming album is still unknown, Mr Eazi has revealed the whole list of producers who participated to the project. 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.
In a first-of-its-kind 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.
About Mr Eazi
MR EAZI is a musical innovator, business leader and philanthropist. As a recording artist, the Nigerian multihyphenate is the voice behind afropop hits “Pour Me Water,” “Skin Tight” and “Leg Over,” as well as groundbreaking collaborations with the likes of Beyoncé and J Balvin, and the creator of Banku Music, a fusion of Ghanaian and Nigerian sounds and culture.
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 has clocked over 4 billion streams of his songs across DSPs, making him one of the most streamed African artists worldwide.
Download Mr Eazi press photos here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aoS84I0gws
