There is a cliche question interviewers always ask artists and most artists always give the same cliche answer. When did you start doing music? The cliche answer is always I started from a very young age; singing in church…bla bla bla, I always knew that I wanted to do music. Most of the time, I can tell they are just trying to fill up a gap which they really don’t have to; but because of the likes of Michael Jackson, they want to feel like they were ordained by God to be musicians. That is the imposter syndrome in action because they have been sold on this thing about music being a spiritual something that if they did not know immediately from childhood that they want to be musicians, then they could be fake.
I like Mr Eazi’s story and I think many need to hear it because it debunks that myth. His story starts like that of every other artist - listening to Bob Marley records played by his dad but doesn’t that make all of us? He actually talks about never thinking of a career in music because all he wanted was to be a millionaire and looking around him, the millionaires that he knew were all engineers. That is how he went on to study Mechanical Engineering in university. What he identifies most with is being an entrepreneur; starting about six businesses before getting into music.
So how did Mr Eazi get into music?
One of his business ventures while in University was an entertainment company that booked artists for shows. The business became so good that artists were always trying to get him to book them and in the process they will invite him to the studio just so they can become friends with him. The only reason why he went to the studios was because he was tired of going to the club because of having to be there for the so many shows he was organizing. To him he was going there to relax. Im sure weed was involved. If you have ever hung out in a studio for any long period of time, you will know that you can’t help but want to record something even if you are not trying to be an artist. That is how he dropped guest verses on songs and one made waves on his school campus - which got him thinking.
In his words, he said “At the time I still felt like if I had the money to pay artists to come to my shows and parties then I didn’t respect being a musician as an economically viable position in Africa.”
After an artist did not show up for what was going to be his biggest show ever, he quit club promoting and started doing music. For perspective, that was in 2014. 5 years later he was on a Coachella stage and is one of the biggest names in the African Music scene. His emPawa Africa project is just a testament to the mindset he has which is that of an entrepreneur; yet he is the one giving a helping hand to many who want to be religious about the whole music thing.
I love music, I still produce and write songs which I may never release but I also did not want to become a great broke artist. Very early on, I realized the business was separate from the art and I decided to go a separate route. I knew many will look at it like I quit and try to ridicule me but the fact is that if I was going to go back into music today, I have a lot more to work with in terms of the platforms I have created and my success might come even quicker. I mean, all I have to do is organize a discovery show and do like Diddy and make myself a performer like no one is going to stop me; I doubt I’m that desperate to shine. Also, I am sure there are many radio shows I had to beg or pay to get on back in 2016 that I can just pick up my phone right now and call that I want to come in and they will gladly receive me.
I see a lot of artists with stagnant careers who keep regurgitating “work dey” left and right. They want to tell you how many hundred songs they have recorded or how many years they have persevered in the game like they should get some credit for sticking to the grind and they will eventually be rewarded for resilience; but I have bad news for them. Music is a business and if in 5 years, you have not started making a profit, you have to close up shop. If you really just love making music, you can do that without a career goal in it. I have friends who recorded more and better music while working at the American embassy than people who claim to be following the path of becoming an artist. Akere Muna plays the guitar and was part of a band in his university days; all along never thinking of becoming a professions musician. I am sure if he had not lost some of his former band mates to death, they will still be linking up and jamming till date.
Don’t be emotional about the music business. It is not a spiritual something on the level you want to make it. Let Pascal sell his socks in peace.
- Tino Foy