Afropop heavyweight Mr Eazi is linking up with legendary producer Dre Skull for Yard & Yanga, a dancehall-infused collaborative mixtape set to drop later this year via Mixpak Records and emPawa Africa. Kicking off the rollout is the explosive lead single, “Lambo,” featuring none other than dancehall king Vybz Kartel.
Yard & Yanga is more than just a collaboration—it’s a celebration of the deep-rooted musical connection between West Africa and the Caribbean. The title cleverly merges “Yard,” a popular Jamaican nickname, with the Nigerian Pidgin word “Yanga,” meaning to show off, capturing the shared swagger, rhythm and cultural influence that have shaped generations of music.
Years in the making, the project reunites two longtime collaborators whose chemistry has already delivered records like “Sekkle & Bop” with Popcaan and last year’s “Dance Pon Me.” While Mr Eazi helped push Afrobeats onto the global stage with hits like “Leg Over” and “Skin Tight,” Dre Skull built his reputation producing some of dancehall’s most celebrated projects, including Vybz Kartel’s Kingston Story and Popcaan’s Where We Come From and Forever.
Although widely known for his Afrobeats catalog, Mr Eazi says dancehall has always been part of his DNA. “In an alternate universe, I would have been an Afro dancehall artist,” he explains. “This is not Afro dancehall, this is dancehall—but my own interpretation.”
Bringing Vybz Kartel onto “Lambo” felt like the perfect move. Beyond being one of dancehall’s most influential voices, Kartel shares a long creative history with Dre Skull dating back to the genre-defining “Yuh Love” and the critically acclaimed Kingston Story. “Kartel is such a generational talent,” says Dre Skull. “I had no doubt he would bring a special energy to this record and complement Eazi’s infectious hook.”
Visually, the single is equally striking. The cover art, created by UK-based illustrator Kione Grandison, blends West African and Caribbean folk aesthetics into one vibrant illustration—mirroring the cultural fusion at the heart of Yard & Yanga.
If “Lambo” is anything to go by, Yard & Yanga is shaping up to be one of the most exciting cross-cultural releases of the year.
