Is Nigerian singer a better artist without his producer DJ Juls?

Why did we all fall in love with Mr Eazi? Why did we find a place in our heart to accommodate and celebrate the young Nigerian wonder?

When Mr Eazi snuck his way into our hearts last year in Nigeria, many were relieved that he had arrived on the scene. Eazi’s ‘Skin tight’ featuring Efya was a hit from the moment it fortuitously found itself on radio.

The song caught on for a few reasons. First, it was ripe for such a melody to come through. After Kiss Daniel slowed down the tempo of radio and clubs with ‘Woju’, Tekno had joined in, and everyone was working on taking Nigerian music back to a lower BPM.

Mr Eazi’s tempo sits right in line with the new movement, and his was desirable due to the Ghanaian Highlife that he carried.  Easy was on a new wave, which was conquering Nigeria one song at a time, and it was because of one thing; his partnership with DJ Juls.

Ever listened to those early Eazi releases and nod your head all through because of the melodic revelation that was just too much to handle? Yes. That’s DJ Juls work, and it was pretty straightforward.

Mr Eazi’s partnership with Juls was working. Grabbing inspiration from 80s and 90s Ghanaian Highlife melodies, Juls creates a modern fusion of these sounds, and hands it to Mr Eazi, who layers his pop verses over it. Thematic direction of the songs were all romance and love-based.

And just like the 70s and the 60’s when Ghanaian Highlife was appropriated by our Nigerian fathers, the sounds from Ghana were mixed with a Naija delivery, and it caught on. History repeating itself.

Mr Eazi grew fast. He became the only breakout star of 2016 in Nigeria. Winning awards from the Headies, Sound City MVPs, and many more. His sound travelled to London, which is the melting pot of influences from across the world, and he has since been working to expand his music.

But in doing that, he has lost an identity. When artists hit the limelight, they are forced to leave their comfort zone to make music that appeals to a wider audience. True fans hate that because it means they would lose the very essence that made them special. But a few acts can carry their independent sounds, market it to mainstream, and succeed.

DJ Juls was dropped from the new project. In moving forward, Eazi and Juls took time off from his new projects. No party has addressed the disconnection, neither do they want to. But insiders say the duo are still working together. Mr Eazi is in the UK recording new stuff with Juls, and they

Eazi obviously needed to update himself. And he did. Only that he took it too far from home. Where was the transition sounds, the mix of the old and new to pace fans into the process? No. We have an artist who has released “Life Is Eazi, Vol. 1: Accra to Lagos” EP. The EP is a distant sound to what he originally fed fans.

It is both unfamiliar and disruptive. But does it work?

It does if you are only being introduced to Mr Eazi for the first time. But as a fan who has followed his art and seen it grow, Eazi isn’t exactly at his strongest when without Julz. Apart from ‘Leg Over’, none of his new singles has made inroads into the Nigerian market. For obvious reasons.

Eazi obviously need more growth in his artistry, and he is pursuing it. But for now, DJ Juls is still his strongest ally to keep what he has.