A list of afrobeats musicians are set to feature on Empire Africa’s debut compilation album, “Where We Come From.”
The album — which is set for a Nov. 18 release — will feature some of the label’s signed artiste, including Fireboy DML, Bnxn fka Buju, Wande Coal, Navy Kenzo, Tolani, Black Sherif, Leil, L.A.X, and more. The project is being launched with “Cough (Odo)” BY Kizz Daniel as the lead single.
“Where We Come From” focuses on sounds from multiple parts of Africa — not solely West African Afropop. With Tanzanian duo Navy Kenzo, Ghanaian rapper Black Sherif, and Nigerian singer-songwriter Kizz Daniel all having strong focus tracks, the project is likely to paint a fuller image of the African culture exploding across the globe.
The project, much of which was recorded this summer in a community writing camp environment, is a significant priority for Empire CEO, Ghazi Shami. “The artists from Africa transcend where music is today,” he said. “This is a legendary moment for Empire to be able to share incredible African music with the world, much of which we were fortunate enough to record at our studio here in San Francisco.”
One artist who is very aware of the power of collaboration is Bnxn (pronounced “Benson,” and formerly known as Buju). Bnxn, who boasts two tracks on “Where We Come From,” released his debut EP in 2021 and has already collaborated with WizKid, Burna Boy, and Zlatan ahead of his debut studio album due next year.
