Tekno Joins Mr Eazi’s emPawa Africa and Drops New Single “Wayo”
The beginning of the joint venture between the Nigerian superstars will see Tekno joining emPawa as an investor and partner.
The paths of Nigerian superstars Tekno and Mr Eazi have been interwoven in significant ways for the last near decade, especially in how they redefined the Afrobeats zeitgeist with the pon pon sound of the mid-2010s. Now, their relationship has evolved into a proper, business partnership.
Tekno has joined emPawa Africa, the label services company founded by Mr Eazi, as an investor and partner. The deal is a joint venture between Tekno’s independent imprint, Cartel Music, and emPawa. It’s a unique situation in Afrobeats, where joint venture deals aren’t too common between homegrown music companies.
To mark the beginning of the deal, Tekno has released “Wayo,” a catchy new single centered on romantic affirmation. The ShugaVybz-produced track is a standard showcase of Tekno’s undeniable abilities as a hit-maker, combining easily relatable sentiments with a golden ear for brightly colored production.
In the Dammy Twitch-directed music video, Tekno pairs with Nollywood actress Uzoamaka Anuinoh (Mami Wata, Diiche), as they portray the song’s heartfelt themes, with the bustling streets of Lagos Island as a backdrop.
“Wayo” marks the beginning of a partnership that should be incredibly profitable for both stars and artists that could be brought on and serviced by the joint venture. "With this deal with Tekno and Cartel Music, we are ushering in a new phase of emPawa," Mr Eazi said in a press release. “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.”
“This strategic alliance with emPawa promises to be a gamechanger for the African music industry and a beacon of opportunity for artists,” added Tekno, in the release. “We look forward to seeing how this partnership will catalyze the growth of emPawa Africa, its artists, and the broader African music ecosystem.”
Watch the music video for “Wayo” below.