‘It is just raw feeling!’: Afrobeats star Mr Eazi on how his debut album caused an art explosion

After a painting stopped him in his tracks, the singer asked 13 artists to create a work for each track of The Evil Genius. It has been, he says, ‘the most therapeutic journey’ – and it’s on show in London

Ask any Afrobeats fan who Mr Eazi is and they’ll probably start smiling. With eyes half closed, they’ll lean back into the dialled-down sound that first brought this Nigerian superstar to global attention, and they’ll probably start singing: “It’s your boy Eazi.”

Mr Eazi is all vibes. Radio 1Xtra’s DJ Edu remembers being in the crowd the first time Eazi played London. Edu says: “It was such a spiritual connection, such a vibe between the crowd and his music and him.” Edu thought, “Wow, there’s definitely something here.”