Afrobeats Rising: Nigeria’s Asake Is On The Cusp Of Superstardom

It has been a whirlwind couple of years for Nigeria’s Asake. Armed with a sparkling voice and a gift for penning lyrics that speak directly to the soul, the rising musician has been churning out blissful tunes since 2018, but he got his big break in 2020 with cuts like “Lady” and “Mr. Money”, which blended his woozy, warm vocals with sweltering Afrohouse and jazz production. 

Asake’s trajectory in the music industry should not come as a surprise to anyone—especially with his unmatched tenacity on the creative front. Since signing to Nigerian rap titan Olamide’s YBNL label and EMPIRE in early 2022, Asake has released songs that have topped the Nigerian Apple Music charts almost every month, including the amorous “Sungba” remix, which featured Burna Boy, and the anthemic “Peace Be Unto You”—both taken from his debut album, Mr. Money With The Vibe.

Like many artists, Asake—born Ahmed Ololade Asake in Lagos State—has always known he wanted to be an entertainer. At secondary school, he performed traditional Yoruba dance alongside drummers and singers. He then went on to study Theatre & Performing Arts at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, and this was where he met fellow YBNL signee Fireboy DML. The duo collaborated on this year’s “Bandana” and have seamlessly connected over their love for music. For Asake, now aged 27, his education instilled a hands-on approach to all his work, including his vibrant and intricate music videos, which pay homage to his heritage. 

Still a newly-minted star, it’s becoming clear that Asake’s music is not only resonating at home. He’s the latest to emerge from a generation of young and talented Nigerian artists who are capturing the attention of worldwide audiences. On Mr. Money With the Vibe, he aims to paint a fuller portrait of himself, showcasing the emotional range of his vocals and the charm of his elusive yet sincere songwriting. The 12-track project is full of juxtapositions, and he isn’t afraid to deliver his stylish blend of fújì’s soulful and uplifting energy mixed with apala’s percussive-driven grooves while exploring the world’s dark and ugly truths at the same time. Among other things on the project, he alludes to newfound pleasures and everyday life struggles on the skin-toughening streets of Lagos. Asake cares so much about his music, from both a sonic and lyrical perspective, and shares that he found it “liberating to assemble songs for a full-length project rather than having to focus on another single.”

Currently touring the US, and set to shut down the prestigious O2 Academy in London in the coming weeks, over Zoom, we caught up with Asake—a somewhat reserved character, who prefers to let the music do all the talking—to discuss Mr. Money With The Vibe, manifestation, becoming Nigeria’s biggest new star, global dreams, and more. 

“The beautiful thing is that I’ve always known and believed that this would happen for me.”

COMPLEX: Congratulations on the release of your debut album, Mr. Money With The Vibe. What has the energy around you been like since it came out?

Asake: The energy has been great, and I’m so happy. I see the charts, I see how the record is doing, and I see the love my fans are showing, and I must say: it is overwhelming. But the beautiful thing is that I’ve always known and believed that this would happen for me. I’m beginning to see everything that I always dreamt and prayed for. I manifested this!

Why did you feel the need to put out an album at all, after having so much success with your singles?

This is the only thing I know how to do, so why not do it properly? Obviously, it’s a different game these days with streaming, and it’s great to have an album when you want to tour. Having studio albums also builds up your discography and I had too much inside of me to share with the world. What better way than to drop an album? For my fans and listeners, this album would give an in-depth look at what I’m about. Although, I am ready to drop more singles as we speak… The grind doesn’t stop. 

How did you decide on the name and direction of this album?

It wasn’t a personal decision. The team thought about it and we collectively thought it was perfect as we had the vibe going on. The music charts and TV countdowns all had my songs on them so we thought to flow with the moment. Big shout out to Olamide Baddo—he suggested it, and we stuck with it.

You didn’t go heavy on the features—there are only two—which isn’t the norm, especially for Nigerian artists dropping their debut albums. Was this intentional?

I wouldn’t say it’s intentional. I would say I had a lot to say and I wanted people to listen to it. It’s really that simple. But moving forward, I will be working with some people we all know. There’s a lot of fresh collaborations on the way and I can’t wait to share them with the fans. 

“Dull” is such a beautiful album opener because you really went deep into promising your fans and the entire world that you would never relent. Why was it important for you to share this message on the project?

It was very important because it tells my story. It tells where I’m coming from and what I’m doing, and how I plan on never going back to where I once was. I needed people to understand that you can get anything you want, as long as you don’t dull. So yes, it needed to be on the project and I am certain it’s doing the purpose for which we put it.

“Reason” instantly caught my attention, too, not only for the Russ feature but also for the fact that you made a foray into rap and killed it! Are you hoping to explore more of this sound in the future?

Oh, most definitely! Firstly, I am a music guy, and I love to explore different genres of music and different sounds. Many people don’t know this but there’s a lot I can do musically. This and a lot more you can expect to see from me as time goes on.

“Nobody wants to go back to their yesterday, especially when it wasn’t pretty.”

It has been a whirlwind couple of years for Nigeria’s Asake. Armed with a sparkling voice and a gift for penning lyrics that speak directly to the soul, the rising musician has been churning out blissful tunes since 2018, but he got his big break in 2020 with cuts like “Lady” and “Mr. Money”, which blended his woozy, warm vocals with sweltering Afrohouse and jazz production. 

Asake’s trajectory in the music industry should not come as a surprise to anyone—especially with his unmatched tenacity on the creative front. Since signing to Nigerian rap titan Olamide’s YBNL label and EMPIRE in early 2022, Asake has released songs that have topped the Nigerian Apple Music charts almost every month, including the amorous “Sungba” remix, which featured Burna Boy, and the anthemic “Peace Be Unto You”—both taken from his debut album, Mr. Money With The Vibe.

Like many artists, Asake—born Ahmed Ololade Asake in Lagos State—has always known he wanted to be an entertainer. At secondary school, he performed traditional Yoruba dance alongside drummers and singers. He then went on to study Theatre & Performing Arts at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, and this was where he met fellow YBNL signee Fireboy DML. The duo collaborated on this year’s “Bandana” and have seamlessly connected over their love for music. For Asake, now aged 27, his education instilled a hands-on approach to all his work, including his vibrant and intricate music videos, which pay homage to his heritage. 

Still a newly-minted star, it’s becoming clear that Asake’s music is not only resonating at home. He’s the latest to emerge from a generation of young and talented Nigerian artists who are capturing the attention of worldwide audiences. On Mr. Money With the Vibe, he aims to paint a fuller portrait of himself, showcasing the emotional range of his vocals and the charm of his elusive yet sincere songwriting. The 12-track project is full of juxtapositions, and he isn’t afraid to deliver his stylish blend of fújì’s soulful and uplifting energy mixed with apala’s percussive-driven grooves while exploring the world’s dark and ugly truths at the same time. Among other things on the project, he alludes to newfound pleasures and everyday life struggles on the skin-toughening streets of Lagos. Asake cares so much about his music, from both a sonic and lyrical perspective, and shares that he found it “liberating to assemble songs for a full-length project rather than having to focus on another single.”

Currently touring the US, and set to shut down the prestigious O2 Academy in London in the coming weeks, over Zoom, we caught up with Asake—a somewhat reserved character, who prefers to let the music do all the talking—to discuss Mr. Money With The Vibe, manifestation, becoming Nigeria’s biggest new star, global dreams, and more. 

“The beautiful thing is that I’ve always known and believed that this would happen for me.”

COMPLEX: Congratulations on the release of your debut album, Mr. Money With The Vibe. What has the energy around you been like since it came out?

Asake: The energy has been great, and I’m so happy. I see the charts, I see how the record is doing, and I see the love my fans are showing, and I must say: it is overwhelming. But the beautiful thing is that I’ve always known and believed that this would happen for me. I’m beginning to see everything that I always dreamt and prayed for. I manifested this!

Why did you feel the need to put out an album at all, after having so much success with your singles?

This is the only thing I know how to do, so why not do it properly? Obviously, it’s a different game these days with streaming, and it’s great to have an album when you want to tour. Having studio albums also builds up your discography and I had too much inside of me to share with the world. What better way than to drop an album? For my fans and listeners, this album would give an in-depth look at what I’m about. Although, I am ready to drop more singles as we speak… The grind doesn’t stop. 

How did you decide on the name and direction of this album?

It wasn’t a personal decision. The team thought about it and we collectively thought it was perfect as we had the vibe going on. The music charts and TV countdowns all had my songs on them so we thought to flow with the moment. Big shout out to Olamide Baddo—he suggested it, and we stuck with it.

You didn’t go heavy on the features—there are only two—which isn’t the norm, especially for Nigerian artists dropping their debut albums. Was this intentional?

I wouldn’t say it’s intentional. I would say I had a lot to say and I wanted people to listen to it. It’s really that simple. But moving forward, I will be working with some people we all know. There’s a lot of fresh collaborations on the way and I can’t wait to share them with the fans. 

“Dull” is such a beautiful album opener because you really went deep into promising your fans and the entire world that you would never relent. Why was it important for you to share this message on the project?

It was very important because it tells my story. It tells where I’m coming from and what I’m doing, and how I plan on never going back to where I once was. I needed people to understand that you can get anything you want, as long as you don’t dull. So yes, it needed to be on the project and I am certain it’s doing the purpose for which we put it.

“Reason” instantly caught my attention, too, not only for the Russ feature but also for the fact that you made a foray into rap and killed it! Are you hoping to explore more of this sound in the future?

Oh, most definitely! Firstly, I am a music guy, and I love to explore different genres of music and different sounds. Many people don’t know this but there’s a lot I can do musically. This and a lot more you can expect to see from me as time goes on.

“Nobody wants to go back to their yesterday, especially when it wasn’t pretty.”