by Zainab Ahmed
New Nigerian superstar Asake released a collaboration, with the head of his label Yahoo Boy No Laptop Nation, Olamide. The song was released February 16, 2022 and in the song Asake and Olamide sing and rap in Yoruba and Nigerian pidgin. They talk about being braggadocios while also cautioning against feeling yourself too much. In the video we see them dancing with women in the club. This became his breakout single and the rising star having one of the most influential artists in the African hip-hop scene on a track was monumental enough but Asake has not shown any signs of slowing down.
Hailing from Lagos State, Nigeria Asake (who was born Ahmed Ololade) had one of the biggest projects in 2022 which was his debut album Mr. Money with the vibe. He named his stage name after his mother and performs his songs in Yoruba as well as Nigerian pidgin which many fans find refreshing. He blends multiple genres of music together such as fuji music (which is from a Yoruba Muslim background), Afrobeats, Afro fusion, Afro pop and Hip hop. He signed with YBNL records in early 2022 and after that he has taken off with no chance of slowing down in sight. His debut album broke records with it having the highest debut streams and the highest three-day streams on Apple music. The album also took over the top ten positions in Apple music Nigeria’s Top 100 chart. Its success crossed border lines and became the number one album in multiple countries and even debuted on the UK’s album chart at position number 22. As stated earlier, many have called it refreshing that he showcases his culture and puts it at the forefront of not just his videos but his music specifically. Asake has shaken the industry and there’s no stopping him just yet.
