Global music superstar Mr. Eazi has released ‘Legalize,’ the first single from his forthcoming debut album, and one of his most personal tracks to date.
Produced by an international team of Michael Brun (Haiti/USA), E Kelly (Nigeria), and Nonso Amadi (Nigeria/Canada), ‘Legalize’ and its accompanying video celebrates Eazi’s love for his fiancée, Nigerian actress Temi Otedola.
The couple got engaged in April when Mr. Eazi proposed while shooting the video in Venice, Italy.
That city’s famously romantic canals, bridges, and architectural gems form the backdrop of the luxe ‘Legalize’ video, directed by Italy’s Federico Mazzarisi. Notable landmarks used in the making of the clip include the Ca’ Sagredo Hotel and the Punta Della Dogana and Palazzo Grimani museums.
Art is a major thread running through Mr. Eazi’s untitled debut album. (Eazi considers his earlier full-length projects, Life is Eazi, Vol. 1: From Accra to Lagos and Life is Eazi, Vol. 2: From Lagos to London as mixtapes). Each track from the album will be represented in the form of a series of uniquely commissioned pieces from different African contemporary artists. These pieces will be tokenized and shared with the public through specially curated metaverse and physical events.
The visuals match the raw emotions that Eazi lays bare in “Legalize.” While the track began to express his feelings towards Temi, it was only after he’d listened back to an early demo that he realized what he was saying to her and himself with his lyrics.
“I started the song in Michael Brun’s house on some edibles, freestyling,” Eazi says. “Later, I went to London and listened to what I’d recorded and realized what the song was about. I’ve been thinking of asking Temi to marry me for a long time, so I guess it was in my subconscious.”
‘Legalize’ has a different feel than the current wave of raucous and boastful Afrobeats, and that’s the point. “It’s more like this song is for me,” Eazi says. “A lot of the album I’m working on feels that way. I am making music for myself.”
