Nigerian-Tamil author Akwaeke Emezi’s debut EP titled Stop Dying, You Were Very Expensive is now out and it is absolutely stunning! The EP was released on March 8 and includes seven amazing tracks.
Here’s what we know about Emezi’s massive music project. According to their recent Instagram post, Emezi has spent years working towards their first music project and it has been no small feat. The debut EP contains seven tracks including their debut single “Banye” released last year. The entire EP is executive produced by Grammy-winning Haitian DJ and record producer Michael Brun, except for the song “Diabozinho” which is produced by Ralph Hardy.
Much like Emezi’s beautiful literary works that explore Igbo mythology, identity, and spirituality, their debut EP is a glorious amalgamation of the above themes. Emezi remarked on Instagram:
making music as an igbo deity from the indigenous spirit center has been so freeing and i believe holding that center is vital to our liberation. immensely grateful to everyone who worked on this project—it has been an honor to collaborate with y’all #SDYWVE
We love the passion present in Emezi’s reflections on their music, and the absolutely stunning cover for the EP reveals the same dedication to Igbo spirituality. The art was done by Paul Davey, who can be found on his Instagram @mattahan. Kudos to Davey for doing such a great job with the mystical cover where the central portrait (of Emezi perhaps?) blends into the pinkish-purple watercolor background and the images represented within.
We are so proud of Emezi for taking on this amazing new venture and releasing their very first album! In their Instagram post, they commented that this EP was made with “no label, no funding, no distributor? no wahala”. What a feat indeed!
Congrats to Emezi on their debut EP! Listen on Spotify and purchase on bandcamp.
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