Mr Eazi

Nigerian singer-songwriter Mr Eazi is an artist who’s built his reputation on everything his name evokes: effortlessness. His singular style, which he’s dubbed “Banku” music, never seems to break a sweat, even as it marries Nigerian Afrobeats with Ghanaian influences. But Mr Eazi, born Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in 1991, is anything but a slacker. He moved to Ghana at 15 to study mechanical engineering—and earned his degree while working three other jobs, including as a club promoter. Music ultimately won out, however, and he released his first mixtape, About to Blow, in 2013. Two singles, “Pipi Dance” and “Bankulize”, found success on dance floors in both Ghana and the UK, and in 2016 he moved back to Lagos to try his hand in the region’s biggest market. He released 2017’s Life Is Eazi, Vol. 1 – Accra To Lagos, which featured songs like “Leg Over” that are remarkable, in large part, for what they don’t do: they are purposefully understuffed, employing minimal beats with just enough swing to hook listeners. It’s a neat trick, and he’s maintained that sense of floating above it all even as he signed with Diplo’s label, Mad Decent, opened for J Balvin, was named an Apple Music Up Next artist and undertook his own solo tour in the U.S. in 2019. And that hustle hasn’t stopped: Eazi is now also the driving force behind emPawa, a hybrid charity and investment programme that’s working to equip the next generation of African musicians with the tools they need to succeed.