1. Mr Eazi in the Valley : On finding someone to pass you the ball

For its first episode, Silverbacks Valley welcomes Mr Eazi, a music superstar who has surpassed a billion streams and collaborated with the likes of Beyoncé, J Balvin and Major Lazer. Mr Eazi is also a VC investor and CEO of emPawa, a music talent incubator representing over 100 artists. He's a board member in our parent company, Silverbacks Holdings and joined our portfolio company, the Cape Town Tigers basketball team, as an investor.

5 BIG IDEAS DISCUSSED IN THE VALLEY WITH MR. EAZI

1.) "I never really left technology"

Most of you will know Mr. Eazi for his ability to produce certified dancefloor hits. But how did it all start ? Mr Eazi tells all about starting out his journey in entrepreneurship in a now defunct incubator 440NG and getting his first funding. At the time, music was a hobby but he realized it had good potential. He's always considered creative industries and the world of tech and startups to be similar : how did he leverage his training then as a tech entrepreneur to break through the music industry ? how does he leverage his music platform today to pursue his own aspirations in the tech industry and how he got involved in Chika Nwobi's Decagon.

2.) "I love investing in talent"

How does Mr Eazi leverage his instinct for picking good talent ? Beyond music and tech, Mr Eazi is also heavily involved in the sports industry. His betting sports company betPawa has invested in the Ghanaian Premier League. In Cameroon, he backs a foundation which trains over thirty people - men and women and has invested in the talent of the boxer Stephane Fondjo, a top 300 in his weight category. Most recently, he has invested in the two times national basketball champion of South Africa - the Capetown Tigers - a team newly created to compete in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) of the NBA.

3.) "I turned down a major deal from one of the biggest music company in the world"

What is Mr Eazi's favorite transaction story ? Why did he turn down a six million dollar deal from a music company and how did he get his company to now be worth four times that amount ? Mr. Eazi underscores the importance of creative and economic freedom for the artists that his company emPawa collaborates with. Why is intellectual property crucial to him ?

4.) "I'd tell my younger self to pitch more"

What would Mr. Eazi tell his younger self? How did Mr Eazi's upbringing foster his curiosity and knack for experimentation ? Mr Eazi advises on how to identify the right spaces where you can share your ideas and the type of support, beyond investment, that one needs to make impossible ideas become possible.

5.) "I am driven by creative and economic freedom"

What motivates Mr. Eazi ? Why does he run away from things that are too structured ? Mr Eazi speaks on the importance of the orange economy and why it appeals to him.