The evolution of the African music scene has seen so many innovations in the past decade. African artists have become global stars, setting the stage for an Afrobeats wave that looks like it’s here to stay. With the advent of new technology innovations, African artists are also seizing the opportunity to use it as an advantage for their music careers. Not long ago, “African Artists in Tech” referred to artists who used technology to push their music and build their numbers as much as possible.
Now, African artists in tech have gained a whole new meaning. Tech startups are taking over the world, and African artists are certainly part of the new tech wave. They are building their own startups, investing, and launching NFT collections. What’s more? They’re not just using these technology innovations to merely boost their careers, but they are fully incorporating them into the music industry. With this, there’s no limit to what the African music industry can become.
Today at Soot Africa, we’re spotlighting a few African artists who are behind exciting tech innovations, and what they could potentially mean for the African music industry.
A-Q: Founder of Tech Startup, The ConnectHead
A-Q (Gilbert Bani), the multiple award-winning lyricist and rapper is an African artist in tech with several unique tech dealings to his name. In 2018, A-Q co-founded a digital music production, promotion, and distribution platform, Platinum Plugz. Not long after, he collaborated with Africori on a tech music business solution acquired by Warner Music Group two years later.
If you’ve heard the name “The ConnectHead”, A-Q is also the genius behind it. The ConnectHead is a digital marketplace where music industry professionals can advertise, source, and hire talent. Artists can also secure publishing and distribution deals through paid subscriptions. Think of it as LinkedIn, but for the African music industry.
Falz
In March 2022, tech company, Binance announced that Falz was set to launch an exclusive NFT collection in its NFT marketplace. The collection featured several NFTS depicting the different roles Falz had taken up over the course of his career. He also used this collection to set the pace for his single “Ice Cream”, a song that quickly became a crowd favorite.
Falz’s NFT collection gave his fans access to an exclusive fan club. The club offered his merch, zoom meetups, exclusive parties, and other exciting incentives. Smart move? I think so.
Black Coffee: A Leading African Artist In Tech
Black Coffee is one of the earlier African artists who invested in tech startups in 2015. The artist invested in Andela, a tech talent incubator for African creatives. Soon after, he set up a digital venture capital firm for investing in software development, content creation, video production, and other music start-ups.
Mr. Eazi: African Artist & Founder of EmPawa
As a huge fan of the Howfar podcast, I’m aware of how big a business tycoon Mr. Eazi is. He has a rich history in tech startups and businesses that date as far back as 2014. That year, he launched an online marketplace where Nigerians could trade used mobile phones.
EmPawa Africa is an African talent incubator platform that focuses on honing the crafts of young African artists, and Mr. Eazi is the founder behind it. Mr. Eazi also invested in other tech ventures like Paisa, Talent City, and PawaPay.
