When his father became a pastor, Eugy found himself enamoured with music from a very young age thanks to his participation in the church choir. He credits both his father and uncle as early influences in his musical journey.
“My dad needed people to play for the choir. He got us lessons from one of my uncles who was a very great musician. So, my brothers and I learned how to play the keyboard/piano, drums, and bass guitar. I learned that from about nine or ten years of age.”
Eugy goes on to attribute a great deal of his musical formative years to his time in secondary school. During this era, Grime was overwhelmingly the voice of youth culture in London and its influence led him to begin making music rooted in rap. However, in 2015 Eugy decided to alter the kind of music he was making. “I was still rapping but I was mixing it with my mother tongue twi.” Eugy would regularly post freestyles on YouTube and Instagram which to his surprise caught the attention of Afrobeats star Davido.
An opportunity to collaborate with Davido arose, which saw the two link up with their single titled Chance. Remarkably, the song only being Eugy’s second afrobeats record still managed to prove itself to be a catalyst for what was ahead. In 2016, Eugy would find himself working alongside another well-esteemed Nigerian singer and songwriter in Mr Eazi. The pair conjured two undeniable hits in Body and Dance For Me and in doing so, helped to firmly establish Eugy as someone to be taken seriously.
After 6 years in the industry, Eugy is in game mode. He refuses to rest on his laurels or any previous success he has attained. He is a man on a mission as he sought to end 2021 with a bang through the release of his new 6- track EP Home Run. The title of the EP is an ode to his decision to return home and head to Ghana in early 2020; a decision inspired by a desire to create music that felt more organic and authentic.
“For me, it was like, how am I making African music and I haven’t gone back to the motherland and really soaked in what’s going on? As someone that is trying to fly the flag for a section of African music, it’s only right I go back home and really set my foot for a while.”
Having intended to only spend two months in Ghana, Eugy found himself enchanted by the country that he once called home. So much so that he spent eight months in West Africa where he was able to spend time with his artistic peers, and most importantly discover who he is as a person as well as a musician.
This intent is displayed across the EP, where Eugy joined forces with some of Ghana’s best and most promising artists including Kuame Eugene, Efya, Medikal and My Touch collaborator Chop Daily. The EP opens with his anthem-like single Show Me The Light featuring Jay Bahd. The track serves as a street anthem, with a message about the struggle that comes with the lifestyle and not being afraid to seek help when you’re at your lowest: “Me I no struggle for blessings, Father God show me the light”.
BomBomBom serves as a staple dance song that one has come to expect from Eugy, partnered up with Dancegod Lloyd to give his fans something for the club. A feel-good song that is certain to get people moving when it’s played... Osu Freestyle does what it says on the tin as Eugy and Medikal tackle the beat with a gritty, bars only approach. It can certainly be deemed as a return to Eugy’s UK roots, prior to the days of him making Afrobeats.
The remix to My Touch closes the EP and features Dancehall musician, Skillibeng who has garnered notoriety in many quarters as one of Jamaica’s hottest young acts. Eugy reflects: “In Ghana, we have a very big dancehall community. We have a very keen love for our Jamaican counterparts. With ‘My Touch’ doing what it’s doing, I thought this is a nice bonus for some of our dancehall fans in Ghana.”
Despite the EP predominantly featuring artists of Ghanian origin, it is very much a multifaceted tape that features a range of influences and sounds from afrobeats to rap, drill to dancehall. Eugy is someone that is firm in his ability to tackle music of any kind and uses ‘Home Run’ as an opportunity to put his skill set on a platform to be taken in.
“As a musician, I’m not scared to try new things. I know some people say ‘Eugy, this is your sound’ or 'what is your sound?’ I just want people to accept Eugy for Eugy. My greatest strength is my ability to jump on any sound. I dare someone to send me a rock beat.”
Having successfully launched his EP, as well as appearing as a guest for Wizkid’s Made in Lagos London tour, Eugy has shown a determination to use 2021 as a springboard to achieve more this year... “Wizkid was mad. It was mad to see the effect my music can have on people after all these years. It’s motivational.”
The Home Run EP is a personal reminder of where Eugy found himself in life prior to and during the making of the project. It tells the story of attempting to reach each base in their life and career, with the final base being home. Without returning to where it all started and truly engrossing himself in who he is and where he is from, there is no home run.