Mr Eazi to ’emPawa’ 100 budding musicians yearly

Following the release of his highly anticipated mixtape “Life Is Eazi – Vol.2: Lagos to London”, Mr Eazi is set to launch ‘emPawa’.

The musician said the initiative is designed with the goal of finding Africa’s next batch of superstars.

He made the announcement at The House in Victoria Island, Lagos, on Tuesday.

“The mission is simple; to uncover independent, emerging, talented artistes and to provide them with the resources and exposure to launch their own careers,” Mr Eazi said.

By partnering with iconic figures in the music industry, he said he would equip budding artistes.

“I will be giving these artistes the tools, in-depth industry knowledge, network, and funds necessary for them to not only achieve their full potential but to also sustain the independence they need to become music entrepreneurs.”

“emPawa” is inspired by tech accelerators like 88mph.ac and 440.ng, which Mr Eazi participated in, back in 2014.

Recalling his humble beginning, the singer said all it took for him to start his career was a video that cost him $1000.

“A career that has allowed me to tour the world, own a business and employ over 100 people. I have funded four videos for artistes in the past two years, thereby creating immense opportunities for them.

“One of those artistes was recently nominated for a BET award, so this is ultimately the real motivation behind this cause – providing opportunities for emerging artistes as well as mentoring them to have the knowledge to become music entrepreneurs like myself.”

Explaining how the project would work, he said the candidates would be encouraged to submit their work for consideration and evaluation by himself and industry experts, via Instagram.

“This initiative comes from the strong belief that there is wealth in undiscovered talent. The idea is that with the right collaboration, investment, and experience a handful of artistes will have the opportunity to gain exposure and guidance to break into the music industry,” he added.

The deadline for submissions is December 15 after which Mr Eazi would pick 100 artistes, who will each receive a grant of $3000.

This funding, he said, will be used to produce 100 music videos with a production crew across Africa

10 of the 100 finalists would be selected to fly to South Africa with Mr Eazi to partake in a 3-week incubator programme.

They would be mentored by pop star Raye and renowned producer Diplo, among other key names within the industry.

Candidates would also have the opportunity to record their song in a state-of-the-art recording studio and shoot their videos with a professional film crew.

From these 10 finalists, Mr Eazi said he would choose a select few to perform at ‘Ghana Party in the Park’ in London next year, alongside himself and other superstars.

The emPawa initiative has already been launched in Nairobi, Kampala, Dar es Salaam and Accra.

In the near future, Mr Eazi said he would open this programme to candidates across the UK and the US as well.

Born Oluwatosin Ajibade, Mr Eazi released his mixtape, ‘Lagos to Accra’, to critical acclaim in 2017.

2018 saw him garner even more international acclaim through hit singles, collaborations with local and international artistes, and global tours.

He was also featured on Major Lazer’s ‘Tied Up’, and sparked interest with his electoral campaign themed video ‘Keys to the City (Ogede).