Over the years, Mr Eazi has continued to make music which owes a lot to the intricacies of a place.
By Emmanuel Esomnofu
Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and as usual, African artistes are soundtracking the event. This time around, we have Mr Eazi and Mr Promise deliver a potential classic on “That Way”, a song burnishing a decades-long relationship between Ghana and Nigeria, two countries essential to Afrobeats history and evolution.
From the former’s patenting of Highlife, which led to a beat pattern that influenced modern African pop music, there’s no denying its impact. Then you have Nigeria, which has most influenced its language, with the country’s artistes shaping the genre’s fashionable edge since the late 1990s.
Between these two countries, no one connected their sonic and narrative relationship as well as Mr Eazi. A Nigerian who spent most of his formative years in Ghana, his early banku style was characterised by mellow earthy percussions which had an inimitable Ghanaian flavour, but you listened closely and the music was peppered with elements from the West African neighbours.
Over the years, Mr Eazi has continued to make music which owes a lot to the intricacies of a place. When he and King Promise released “See What We’ve Done”, its video was noticeably shot in Iceland, the location of Mr Eazi and Temi Otedola’s well-reported marriage event. The music too had the qualities of men at ease in the world: luxuriant, and effortlessly so, it extended both artiste’s reputation for soft Afro-Pop bops, the kind you could sing with a tall glass of champagne in one hand.
Apparently, both artists have worked on an EP. Their chemistry is showcased on several tracks (my favourites are “Dabebi” and “Baby, I’m Jealous”), it makes a lot of sense for both artistes to stretch that chemistry into a project. Expected by March, they’ve, however, served up one of their best collaborations yet, tapping into a sample that would no doubt be familiar among a wide group of African audiences.
That sample is “I Love It That Way”, the 1999 classic from American boy band Backstreet Boys. Quite the audacious flipping, both African artistes don’t try to hide the greatness of their original material, but rather allow the source vocals to punctuate several parts of the record. The hook is almost left unchanged, except for King Promise’s inspired layering of his voice upon the sweet sentiment of serenading one’s fire and desire.
With warm Afro drums added, there’s even more groove to the record produced by GuiltyBeatz, who’s one of the most visionary curators of the African sound right now. His credits include work for Beyoncé and Tems, and he pretty much carries that prestige into the neat insides of “That Way”.
Anyone familiar with the history of contemporary Nigerian pop knows there was a period–in the early 2000s–when our sound owed a massive credit to the dynamics of American Hip-Hop. Now we have two of the scene’s most gifted vocalists sampling one of the most recognisable records from that culture, and making it distinctly pop, undeniably African.
Even the video, shot in a private airport hangar, pays homage to the aesthetic of the original video, embedded with modern touches by director Charlie Rees. All round there’s just a lot of intention behind the record and its visualisation, which gives us a fine degree of expectation for the project coming next month.
Emmanuel Esomnofu is a Nigerian writer and culture journalist whose work spans music, literature, visual art, film, technology, and more. With a keen eye for storytelling and a deep appreciation for history, his writing explores the intersection of contemporary culture and historical context, offering readers fresh perspectives on the world around them. His role in the Umuofia Arts and Books Festival, where he was part of the planning committee and a guest for its first two editions, highlights his commitment to promoting creative expression in Southeast Nigeria.
Beyond his work in journalism, Esomnofu holds a BA in History & International Studies from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. He continues to explore his love for fiction, poetry, and other creative forms, building a legacy as one of the continent’s most dynamic cultural voices.