Africa: Mr Eazi, Black Coffee and Ajebutter22 - The Music Artists Backing Startups

Thin Lei Win/Thomson Reuters Foundation
Nigerian Afrobeats star Mr. Eazi pose for the camera at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome during a conference by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), February 11, 2020.
13 July 2022
TechCrunch (San Francisco)
By Tage Kene-Okafor

African music artists are using personal funds and collectives to invest in startups. Soon, they might launch funds

This April, Black Coffee, the famed South African DJ and record producer whose real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo, made history at the Grammys. With his seventh studio album "Subconsciously," he became the first African act to win an award in the Best Dance/Electronic Album category.

His win came when the global appetite for Amapiano, a style of house music that emerged in South Africa, and Afrobeats, a popular music genre that originated from Western Africa, had increased exponentially. It was a much-needed success for the African music scene, and though it didn't appear so, it was a boost for its tech scene.

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