The build project is a body of work created during writing camp at EMPIRE headquarters in San Francisco immediately after its first showcase. “The New Africa” during the second night of SXSW in March. The crowd watched performances by BNXN fka Buju, Check, fire boy DML, June Liberty, LOOSE, Coal Wande, and other African music pioneers signed to EMPIRE. Artists who will be featured in the upcoming project include Fireboy DML, Olamide, Bnxn fka Buju, Navy Kenzo, Wande Coal, Tolani, Black Sherif, Leil, Kizz Daniel, LAX, and more.
“This album is a collective of multi-talented independent artists, with whom we have partnered to help create a legacy of cultural appreciation and collaboration.” Ezegozie Eze, Jr., VP, Strategy and Market Development – Africa & Diaspora said. “Building this platform is one way we plan to further highlight Africa’s soundscapes and the diversity of its artists. It is a celebration of familiar sounds and emerging fusions, of familiar voices and rising stars. We are so grateful for the time and dedication it took from everyone involved to put this together.”
EMPIRE Africa globalized EMPIRE’s existing success in the US by highlighting and further developing the achievements of Nigerian artists such as Fireboy DML, Bnxn fka Buju, Olamide, KiDi, Black Sherif and Asake. Named as the top record label in Nigeria, EMPIRE holds this title for market share and as the top music company with the most collective number of number 1s in Nigeria according to turntable graphicsthe Billboard equivalent in Africa. Additionally, artists on EMPIRE’s Africa chart dominated the top 35 songs on Apple Music’s ‘Nigeria Top Songs’ charts and held the top spot for over 25 weeks on turntable graphics.
“Artists from Africa really transcend where the music is today,” said Ghazi, CEO and founder of EMPIRE. “This is a legendary moment for EMPIRE to be able to share incredible African music with the world, much of which we were lucky enough to record in our studio here in San Francisco.”
The expanding division has been very successful recently with ‘Mr. Money With The Vibe by Asake becoming the highest-charting Nigerian debut album of all time on the Billboard 200 and the biggest Nigerian album in Apple Music history (globally), fire boy DML becoming the first African artist to perform at the 2022 BET Awards, Daniel Kizz breaking records for most streamed artist on Boomplay, kidi going platinum in India for their sizzling single “play it” with the multi-platinum recording artist tigaY black sheriff earning over 75 million audio streams for ‘kwaku the traveler‘ in just one month.
