Afrobeats royalty Tekno joins forces with Mr Eazi’s emPawa Africa as partner and investor

28 May 2024 - Press release

THE AWARD-WINNING NIGERIAN POP STAR ENTERS NEW ERA WITH JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN HIS CARTEL MUSIC AND EMPAWA AFRICA

 

Afrobeats icon and award-winning Nigerian musician and producer TEKNO is excited to usher in a new musical era with a ground-breaking new partnership with emPawa Africa, the innovative independent music company founded by global music star Mr Eazi, which will see Tekno becoming an investor and partner in emPawa Africa, while also housing his Cartel Music imprint with emPawa Africa.

Their game changing joint venture will see Tekno’s Cartel Music imprint releasing exciting new music via Mr Eazi’s emPawa Africa, with Tekno also set to become a partner and invest in emPawa Africa in its next capital call round. He joins Grammy Award-winning producer Michaël Brun among those who have invested in the innovative African-owned company founded by Mr Eazi in 2018. It has been at the forefront of discovering and nurturing emerging talent across the African continent; building a launch pad for artists to shine on the global stage, working with the likes of Joeboy, Major League DJz, Fave, King Promise, Minz, and DJ Neptune, among others.

With emPawa Africa revered as a trailblazer in discovering and nurturing talent across the continent, Tekno’s ability to foster budding talent perfectly aligns with the company’s ethos. This strategic partnership promises an infusion of fresh perspectives, and unparalleled value, in sync with both parties’ mission to empower African creatives, with Tekno's extraordinary brilliance in singing, songwriting, and production making this collaboration a guaranteed recipe for success.

Speaking about his new partnership with Mr Eazi’s emPawa Africa, Tekno says, “This strategic alliance with Empawa promises to be a gamechanger for the African music industry and a beacon of opportunity for artists. We look forward to seeing how this partnership will catalyse the growth of emPawa Africa, its artists, and the broader African music ecosystem”, with Mr Eazi adding how, "With this deal with Tekno and Cartel Music, we are ushering in a new phase of emPawa. This phase will see us partnering with African artists at different stages of their career who want to maintain financial and creative freedom, yet move from talent for hire to equity participation. It’s a first-of-its-kind deal for afrobeats”.

The first fruit of this new partnership between Tekno and Mr Eazi is a brand new Tekno single titled ‘WAYO’. Written and produced by Tekno and GRAMMY Award-nominated hitmaker ShugaVybz, the track is driven by infectious percussions, hypnotic synths, and lush guitar arrangements, and held together by Tekno’s enchanting vocal performance and captivating storytelling, ‘Wayo’ – which means to “scam” or deceive someone in Nigerian slang – sees Tekno reassuring his lover of his pure intentions and undying devotion to her, making sure to let her know, “I no come do wayo”

The glorious new offering also comes with a cinematic music video starring Tekno and Nollywood sensation Uzoamaka Aniunoh as a couple navigating the highs and lows of their relationship. Directed by Forbes 30 Under 30 filmmaker Dammy Twitch (Davido, Yung Bleu, DaBaby), the video for ‘Wayo’ brings to life a heartfelt narrative of love, and forgiveness, beautifully complementing the song's resonant lyrics. Taking viewers on a vivid journey through the bustling streets of Lagos Island, the video captures the essence of the city’s pulsating spirit and dating culture, with the visuals emphasising the themes of love and forgiveness, showing how Tekno and his lover overcome their relationship challenges.