Nigerian singer Tekno has teamed up with Mr Eazi’s label services company, emPawa Africa, through his own Cartel Music label, taking on roles as both investor and partner.
In this new collaboration, Tekno’s label will release new music via emPawa Africa, beginning with his first single of 2024, ‘Wayo’. Tekno joins Grammy-winning Haitian DJ and record producer Michaël Brun as a notable investor in emPawa, a company dedicated to supporting independent African artists and labels while ensuring their economic and creative freedom.
“With this deal with Tekno and Cartel Music, we are ushering in a new phase of emPawa,” Mr Eazi stated. “This phase will involve partnering with African artists at different stages of their careers who wish to maintain financial and creative freedom, transitioning from talent for hire to equity participation. It’s a groundbreaking deal for Afrobeats.”
Tekno expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “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 catalyze the growth of emPawa Africa, its artists, and the broader African music ecosystem.”
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Tekno, who has garnered over 2.5 billion streams, is known for hits like ‘Duro’, ‘Pana’, and ‘Skeletun’. He has also written and produced major tracks such as Davido’s global hit ‘If’ and Swae Lee and Drake’s ‘Won’t Be Late’, both of which received gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
Since its establishment in 2018, emPawa has provided aspiring artists with the resources, training, and tools needed for global success. The platform has collaborated with artists such as Joeboy (Nigeria), Major League DJz (South Africa), Fave (Nigeria), King Promise (Ghana), and DJ Neptune (Nigeria), among many others.
In February, following his departure from emPawa, Joeboy and his new label, Young Legend, secured a global distribution deal with Warner Music. Earlier this month, Ghanaian dancehall artist J.Derobie, another emPawa alumnus, launched his own label, Turf Way Records, and released his EP *Firm After All* in May.