Lagos to Jozi: Mr Eazi is 'bringing the heat' to Bassline Fest

Coming out on top in Ghana, a country known for birthing some of the best artists in Africa, is not easy, but Mr Eazi has defied the odds through banku – a mixture of Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian grooves. His sound is undeniably original, earning him collaborations with such artists as Major Lazer, Ice Prince, Shekhinah, Lady Leshurr, Kwesi Arthur, Burna Boy and Sarkodie.

His big releases so far – Life Is Eazi, Vol. 1 – Accra to Lagos and Life Is Eazi, Vol. 2 – Lagos to London – are conceptual works based on the cities he's lived and worked in, with the latter making serious waves on the music scene after its release in 2018, while the former landed him a full-band live performance on The Late Late Show with James Corden.

He was also a guest speaker at the 2018 edition of Music In Africa's ACCES music conference in Nairobi, Kenya, where he spoke about the commercial and artistic aspects of musical collaborations alongside Kenyan electro genius Blinky Bill.

As fate would have it, the two ACCES panellists will play Bassline Fest in Johannesburg on 25 May, where Mr Eazi will be headlining the event alongside fellow Nigeria artist Asa.

Music In Africa caught up with the Mr Eazi ahead the big Africa Day event to talk about what South African fans can expect from one of Africa's hardest working young musicians. Zagadat!

MUSIC IN AFRICA: You are one of the most talked-about artists on the continent right now. You also pioneered banku music in a country where music competition is rife. What’s the secret to your success?

MR EAZI: What I do is be true to myself and make music around things that influence me, from topics to sounds. You know, we're not isolated from life, so it just happens to be the things that influence me and the things that influence the people around me and around the world. That's what I see as being the secret.

‘Skintight’ featuring Efya was one of your breakthrough songs. What does this say about collaborations?

I love collaborations. Sometimes I finish a record and I feel like it's a solo effort, but I just listen to it on and on again, and sometimes four or eight bars with someone else makes the difference. Efya on that song was very instrumental and I feel collaborations are where it's at, at least for me.

You were a headlining speaker at Music in Africa's ACCES conference in Nairobi last year, discussing collaborations with Blinky Bill, who will also perform at Bassline Fest this month. Can we expect a brief onstage collabo come 25 May?

[Laughs] I don't know, I need to speak to Blinky about that, but that should be a vibe. I think when I see him we'll be able to hook something up, if there's enough time. I am definitely up for that.

What are your expectations of Bassline Fest and what can music fans expect from your performance?

I don’t want to spoil the show and say, this is what I'm gonna, but basically I'm definitely going to be bringing the heat to the festival stage. So people need to go out and get their tickets at www.howler.co.za. It's only R350 so whatever you're doing right now, go and get you tickets!

It's generally tough establishing a name in a foreign country, albeit in West Africa. What challenges have you come across as a Nigerian artist working in Ghana?

Every scene in Africa is bubbling and strong and everyone likes to support their own. That's just how it is worldwide and especially back home because we are very proud of African culture and our music. I feel like that's the only thing, so you need to humble yourself. At the end of the day it's the music. People relate to the music so they don't really care where you're from if the music gets to them on a personal level. Only good music can break the ice.

You recently performed at Coachella in the US. What was that like for you?

Coachella was definitely a vibe and more of a motivation for me like, 'You know what, Eazi? You have to go hard at this!' I feel like I just started my career. In fact, coming out of Coachella made me want to record a hundred songs, so it was a blessing to realise that we just started three years ago and we're already playing Coachella. But beyond that it was a realisation that there's so much more to do.

Most modern pop artists struggle to deliver memorable live performances and often get flak from fans and the media for being under-rehearsed or for playing exclusively with backtracks. How important is it to work with a tight live band?

It depends on the kind of music you make and your audience. I don't believe music has to be served the same way. Sometimes I play to audiences that don't even want to hear about a live band, they just want to hear the exact same thing that's on the original track, and you deliver it to them like that. There's no one way how it should be done. I've had situations where I perform without the live band somewhere and people say, 'This is sick, we love this,' then you bring a live band to the same place and they're like, 'No, no, no.' It also depends on the genre of the song. I've decided to always merge my live band and the track. I don't do purely live or purely track anymore. It's a midpoint where my fans and myself enjoy the performance.

You shot the video for ‘Let Me Live' in Johannesburg. What were your impressions of the city?

Yo, I love Jozi! I came to Jozi the first time when they were doing the MAMAs [MTV Africa Music Awards] in 2016. I came to shoot a couple of videos at the time and I attended the MAMAs. Nobody knew me then. I could just walk in and walk out. It's a lovely city and I love the energy. I definitely want to do more in Jozi.

There are many Nigerian expats in Johannesburg. What is your message to them?

I feel like they have done a great job in spreading the culture, the music, the movies. If there is one thing I would say to them is thank you, and wish them the best of luck in their endeavours. I think they should keep spreading the music, 'cause they are our radio, our promoters. Thank you very much.

Your city concepts – Accra to Lagos and Lagos to London – have done exceptionally well. Will you be continuing with this concept in the future and when can your fans expect the next EP or full-length offering?

Right now, I am still thinking about what I am going to do. I have two options on cities to go to from Lagos, and since I am travelling a lot I could always put them all in one and have one offering. When I decide, you will be the first to know.

What’s the significance of Africa Day for you as an African artist working on the continent?

Africa Day is a remarkable day not just for me as an African artist but for the continent at large. It signifies the importance of building a better Africa and celebrating our diverse, unique, edgy, beautiful and vibrant culture and traditions. It is also a time to reflect on how far Africa has to go to build a unified and decolonised continent. Festivals such as the Bassline Fest, where African artists have the opportunity to use music as a tool to unite people beyond language barriers, is beautiful. It's amazing that Bassline Fest is happening at the same time as Africa Day and I feel like it's a blessing.

For tickets and more information about Bassline Fest, visit the official website, like the fest on Facebook and follow it on Twitter