Mr Eazi says an existing concert commitment stopped him attending the 2019 premiere of The Lion King and potentially meeting Jay-Z. The Nigerian singer described the missed opportunity in a recent BBC Focus on Africa interview, looking back at a clash between two important invitations.
He had contributed to Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift music project and received an invitation to the film premiere. Jay-Z was expected there, but Mr Eazi said he had already been paid to perform elsewhere on the same date.
For the singer, the possible meeting mattered beyond celebrity recognition. He described Jay-Z as someone he looks up to in both music and entrepreneurship. Missing the premiere meant losing that particular opportunity, although he said he still hopes they will meet.
The account also gives the story a clear timeline. The scheduling conflict happened in 2019; the new development is Mr Eazi discussing it now. It is not an announcement of a recently cancelled meeting, a collaboration or a business agreement between the two artists.
Mr Eazi also used the interview to discuss his own business interests. He said he was directly or indirectly involved in activities in more than 20 African countries and was investing in sport with a long-term outlook. Those statements describe his account of the reach and direction of his ventures.
Together, the comments show why he links his musical influences with business ambition. The concert anecdote is about honouring an existing paid engagement when another opportunity appears; his wider remarks place that choice within a career he describes as extending beyond recording and performance.