Afrobeats artiste Mr Eazi says he was not shocked when he missed out on the Best African Artiste of the Year award at the 2017 Ghana Music Awards, which went to RunTown, known for the hit song “Mad Over You.”
Speaking to Live FM’s Vanessa Gyan in Accra, he explained that certain behind the scenes issues made him expect the outcome.
“I knew I wasn’t going to win. Last year, they tried to book me for Miss Malaika but didn’t want to pay me, and I said I wouldn’t leave Nigeria to perform for Miss Malaika,” he said.
He added, “They contacted me to perform at this year’s VGMAs and my manager mentioned a fee, but they didn’t agree.”
His manager, Bernard Kafui Sokpe, confirmed the situation during the interview. “We were told that artistes who perform at the VGMAs do it for free, and if any money is given, it is only a small token which I didn’t accept. Once we saw RunTown being promoted, we could already predict what would happen,” he noted.
Mr Eazi also hinted that he might join forces with Shatta Wale to stage a concert on the same night as the 2018 Ghana Music Awards.
“Anything involving Charter House doesn’t interest me unless they pay me. I might team up with Shatta Wale next year and actually host the concert I talked about during the next VGMAs. The award has lost its relevance,” he said.
The Bankulize hit-maker appears unfazed by the loss, especially considering his rapid international growth and recent achievements.
His mixtape Life Is Eazi – Accra to Lagos reached number four on the Billboard World Charts, and he became the first African artiste to have a song premiered on Zane Lowe’s World Record show on Beats 1 Radio. His track “Skin Tight” was also featured in an advert starring music icon Diddy.
Born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, he had his basic and secondary education in Lagos. He later graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and obtained a master’s degree in Engineering and Management from Coventry University.
