Through his work, it's obvious that Asake represents the current and average Nigerian - patriotic to his roots, dares to defy, relentless in his pursuit of his greatness and does not back down from a challenge. As an artiste, he is methodical, dedicated, dynamic and concise. One might even call him a professor who has carried out extensive research on how best to introduce himself and his sound, reviewed relevant literature which helps him understand what his peers and predecessors have done well and where they have failed and turn all his hypotheses to precedents. He boldly declares this when he states that he found a sound among all the sounds on the MMS, the second track off his 2024 album, Lungu Boy. But how did he get here? How has he set himself apart from others swept up in the Afrobeats vortex commonplace among other Nigerian artistes? More importantly, what are the academics of Asake?
It goes without saying that the first thing anyone would know or notice about Asake is his stage name, Asake. Born Ahmed Ololade, his stage name is native to Nigerian women who hail from the South Western part of the country and the culturally adept would find it confusing as to why a man would choose to be called by a woman's name, especially when ancient traditions and culture are interrelated in Nigeria and dictate who we are. He, on the other hand, does not see it this way and instead finds joy in being called Asake, not just because it’s his mum's name but also to surprise his early listeners who expected a beautiful lady or nice girl when the name is called. This is similar to what Eric Marlon Bishop, popularly known as Jamie Foxx, did. For Asake, the name stuck because he loved being referred to as his mum’s son wherever he presents himself. And it's probably because, like his mum, he loves to dance. Dancing has also been a major influence on Asake’s formative years.
According to him, making music was to create a vibe that made you want to dance as evidenced by his 2018 track, Ayeeza, which was majorly fast, groovy and not a bad jam for anyone could catch a vibe to. Contemporary Nigerian music was not too popular. The likes of fuji legends, K1 De Ultimate, Pasuma and Ayinde Barrister amongst others, served as the go-to bop, especially in South Western Nigeria. Few years later, their songs are the bedrock and inspiration for many artistes in Nigeria's current music industry, Asake being one of them, hence why most of his songs are predominantly sung in fuji. Armed with these, Asake was recognized in a short amount of time while undertaking his bachelor degree in Theatre and Performing Arts at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) for his musical prowess and his catalog of dance moves that had street appeal. These nuances, in one way or the other, would go on to form an intrinsic and cardinal aspect of what Asake does with music.
The name, Asake, translates to mean “one who has been selected or picked to be pampered or cherished” in Yoruba language. However, his journey to superstardom cannot be described as one in which he was pampered or cherished. Many of his current fans know that Asake came into the limelight with his 2020 hit song, Mr Money - more than a decade after he started chose music as a professional career path. If you click the Search icon on Spotify and search for Asake’s discography, you find that most of his songs are the ones that were released in 2020 and afterwards, the popular tracks. This neglects other hits like Kanipe and Ayeeza, both of which were released in 2019 and 2018 respectively, or Shodamo in 2017. These songs do not encompass the complete foundation of his musical arsenal since he became worldwide, but simply tell the story of someone who, to his audience, “got there in two years, but I’ve been working for years”, Asake says. Before his current status in the music industry, his songs were barely paid attention to.
The Native writer, Emmanuel Esomnofu, states “that Asake is influenced by fuji and juju music, incorporating some of its classical practices into his sound”. Some opine that his sound is a fascinating meld of his native Yoruba tongue, amapiano (a staple South African sound), afrobeats’ typical up-tempo rhythms to create a style closer to fuji. Others have noted that his sound comes from a feeling of dominance, “a fusion of Afrobeats, rap, fuji and elemental music strings” or even a mix of ad-libs, log drums or violin. More importantly, Asake knows that he is yet to reach the peak of his talent and will not stop until he does. As an instance, in 2019, Asake released African Something, a two-minute euphemism which speaks on the characteristics of the posterior of an African woman. Body, released in 2020, sounds like an appeal to a lover wherein he describes how he’d like to get intimate with the said person, how he’d caress her and how important she is to him, in both body and soul.
One of his 2021 tracks, Don’t Hype Me finds Asake applauding the kebe of a person who’s caught his attention, asking her Elo lo fe oh / Sh’owo Yankee l’ofe (How much
do you want / Do you want foreign money). These songs all testify to
Asake’s ability to create a perfect blend of pidgin English and Yoruba. They
also show that he has a strong mastery of the beats, sounds or vocals he knows
he needs to make his talent as an artiste work. However, as good as they sound,
they are superficial in taste, lacking in originality, deficient in depth and
diminish the capabilities of his intellectual property. They represent the
inventions of an artiste whose interest lies in producing club bangers and celebrate
a sense of international acknowledgement driven by one goal - lots of partying
with too many women on hand. However, these songs were merely a prelude to a
revival birthed via his 2022 EP, Ololade
Asake.
The EP comes on the heels of his signing to the YBNL family and introduces Asake in a re-defined sound under his record label. It starts off with Trabaye which introduces the artiste as someone who wants to enjoy his life and feel high, not necessarily on drugs. This point is regardless of whether or not Won so pe won ni mo l’ako osi gan (They said that I’m needlessly a prideful person). He knows how much hard work he has put into getting himself and his music to the stage where everyone is eager to hear from “Mr Money”. On Sungba, the song carries a beat that easily stands out as a club and office banger, versatile in its tone and flirtatious in its rhythm. There’s no denying the fact that the track’s upbeat, amapiano vibe had heads dancing to its beat when it was released. Baba God, off the EP, sees Asake reverting to the constant spiritual force in his life where he says ‘Cause I gat Jehovah gan ni. WIth this resolve, Asake asserts his confidence and acknowledges that Baba God is enough - Ibi tima de, moma de, ko kan ye (Where I’m going to reach, I’ll get there. It's nobody’s business). The last track off the EP is Omo Ope featuring one of music industry’s don and veteran, Olamide, who heads the record label Asake is signed to, YBNL. The song’s hook is very catchy. The track is described as “a masterclass in song arrangement, combining a light two-chord piano riff and a full-bodied percussion groove as its foundational elements, a perfect backdrop for Asake to flaunt his singing”. With world class production of the EP credited to renowned producers, Niphkeys and Magicsticks, as well as adroit choice of Pidgin English and Yoruba words for lyrics, Asake had begun to carve a monument of himself as a musical maestro, “igbadun” connoisseur and superstar.
Already having one of Nigeria’s record setting breakout year, Asake decided to keep the energy flowing with his first album, Mr Money With The Vibe (MMWTV), released in the same year after his EP. The album showed that Asake has a distinct ability, the fundamentals required to chart Nigeria’s music charts, and, with proper tuning and evolution, position himself as the criteria an artiste seeking to hone his craft to the best it must be. With his supply of Pidgin English and Yoruba innuendos, Fuji beats and mixes, Asake delivered on his story on what he had gone through as a young and upcoming artiste, with his own twist and words. Most of the tracks on the album reflected a plethora of different feelings and lessons.
With the success of his debut album, Asake kept the spotlight on his talents and proved that it is possible for lightning to strike twice with the release of his sophomore album, Work Of Art. This album serves as a glimpse into what Asake has gained since his tango with fame in 2022. Seeped in similar concepts that underpinned MMWTV, this album would see Asake recreating his 2022 banquet with a twist, defying the odds and re-introducing himself in a manner similar to when a member of the Uchiha Clan awakens their Sharingan. He exudes more confidence with this album. Where MMWTV was humble, Work Of Art shows off his pride in what he has accomplished less than two years since being a signed artiste - proud of his winnings and indulgent in his achievement - but now without care to know that Emi ko, Olorun ma ni/ Ta lo gbon t’Olorun (Its not me, its God/ Who is wiser than God), Asake sings on Olorun, the album’s opener. He believes that his trust in his Creator gave him this grace and he won’t squander it by being too humble. This indulgent behaviour empowers him to declare himself El Chapo and Capo Di Tutti, names given to a powerful crime boss, which, given the album’s success, were well earned.
In 2024, Asake proved that the similarity and familiarity of experiences and genres which influenced the productions of MMWTV and Work Of Art were a sojourn in his dexterity and flexibility as an artiste and hitmaker. His third studio album, Lungu Boy, is the proof of change in narrative. The album portrays Asake going in a new direction with his music. Asake, as noted by 49thStreet, depicted himself as “the life of the party, the emo guy, the conscious individual, and the lover boy”. Lungu Boy is a project which “is an experimental cocktail of foreign melodies mixed to sip Asake into the bloodstream of a wider international market”, TheCableLifestyle opines. This point couldn’t be truer with Asake digging down deeper “on his signature palette of Afrobeats, amapiano, hip-hop, and neo-fújì, a style that blends elements of Indigenous Yoruba music (choral harmonies, polyrhythmic drumming, Islamic references) with Afrobeats rhythms and street storytelling” to produce something that transcends African borders. Why praise your dexterity if you don’t aim to penetrate new markets. On this album, he courageously tested the boundaries of his creativity and whether or not he could deliver. In one way, it paid off. He opened himself to more collabs than he did with his previous albums, showing that his own style of music can crisscross with those of international acclaim. However, there’s a little connection with the themes and ideas he’d won his audience over with via his previous albums and questions, lack of interconnectedness between each track and the fact that the wordings and lyrics are one-paced and similar. This, however, does not take away from Asake the fact that he’s an artiste and willingly experiments with his sound.
Since
his emergence in the industry, Asake’s performance has been nothing short of
exceptional. In less than three years, he has turned the tide in his favor and
cemented his position. He embodies a strong intersection of culture and
creativity. As a contemporary artiste in the Nigerian landscape, most are
conformed to follow the trend of releasing tracks imbued with Afrobeats and
leave little room to expand their modus operandi. Asake does not subscribe to
this and chooses to go down a different path, of which he has the awards and
achievements to back it up. It’s obvious that he is not ready to stop evolving.
This is his motto, this is the dream for which he has remained steadfast and
consistent. With this, it can be said that Asake lays down a blueprint for
other artistes to follow.
