Mr Eazi Addresses Afrobeats Billionaire Question

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Nigerian singer and entrepreneur Mr Eazi has responded to the long-running question of whether he could become Afrobeats' first billionaire. In an October 2026 interview with UK radio station Capital XTRA, the "Leg Over" hitmaker said that in some currencies he has already crossed the line, while promising that a billion in US dollars is "coming". The exchange, reported by Legit.ng on October 12, quickly spread across social media, where fans debated the joke, the ambition behind it and the growing business empire of one of Afrobeats' most commercially minded stars. A billionaire "by currency" Asked by the host whether he was on his way to becoming the first Afrobeats billionaire, Mr Eazi did not give a simple yes or no. Instead, he broke down his answer by currency. According to Legit.ng, he said that in Nigerian naira he had already crossed the milestone, and he extended the same claim to Ghanaian cedis and Zimbabwean dollars, drawing laughter in the studio. When the conversation turned to US dollars, he was measured. "US dollars, you know, soon come," he said. "I'm not really looking for that, that's not the target. But I see it; it's coming. Anytime now." The answer was playful, but it also pointed to a wider point. A naira billion and a dollar billion are very different sums, and Mr Eazi's framing pokes fun at how headlines about African wealth often blur that line. "Jay-Z is Jay-Z" The moment that drew the most attention online came when the host suggested Mr Eazi could be called "Africa's Jay-Z". He embraced the comparison with a grin while drawing a cheeky line between the two. "Jay-Z is Jay-Z. I'm Mr Eazi," he said. "Jay-Z has Beyoncé and not Tamey." The line was a playful nod to his partner, Temi Otedola, the actress and daughter of Nigerian billionaire businessman Femi Otedola. Fans widely shared the clip and enjoyed the light-hearted jab. Business beyond the music The interview also touched on his investments. When the host noted that he owns a stake in a UK ticketing company named in reports as Shubh's, Mr Eazi confirmed it without hesitation, according to Legit.ng. The detail fits the reputation he has built over the past decade as an artist who treats music as one part of a wider portfolio. Mr Eazi, born Oluwatosin Ajibade, is known as the founder of emPawa Africa, a talent incubator and distribution company that has backed young African artists with funding and release support. He has also spoken openly in past interviews about investments outside music, and he has long been one of the most vocal advocates for African artists owning their masters and business structures. Still a hitmaker The business talk has not replaced the music. On Spotify, Mr Eazi sits among Nigeria's biggest streaming names. A tooXclusive tally published on October 12 placed him at 2.1 billion all-credit Spotify streams, 13th among the 24 Nigerian artists who have passed one billion streams on the platform. Earlier this year he released "Comfort" with Ghana's Moliy, which Entzopedia covered in our report on the single . Why the question keeps coming up The idea of an "Afrobeats billionaire" has become a regular talking point as the genre's global earnings rise. Stars such as Davido and Wizkid play stadiums, sign major label deals and land brand partnerships, while African artists increasingly invest in tech, property and media. Hip-hop's billionaire class, led by Jay-Z, is often held up as the comparison. No independent valuation of Mr Eazi's net worth has been published, and his comments should be read as part of a relaxed radio conversation rather than a financial disclosure. Still, they show how he presents himself: as an artist-entrepreneur building towards long-term wealth rather than chasing a single headline figure. "That's not the target," he said of the dollar billion, while insisting he can see it coming. What's next For now, Mr Eazi's focus appears split between new music, his emPawa roster and his growing list of investments, including ticketing in the UK. Fans will be watching to see whether a new project follows "Comfort" before the end of the year, and whether more details of his business stakes emerge. Either way, the Capital XTRA interview has made one thing clear: he is happy to be part of the billionaire conversation, on his own terms. Sources: Legit.ng | tooXclusive