Biography
Ahmed Ololade, known professionally as Asake, was born on January 13, 1995, in Lagos, Nigeria, and adopted his stage name as a tribute to his mother, whose first name is Asake. Raised primarily by his mother in Lagos, he attended local elementary and secondary schools before studying Theatre and Performing Arts at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, where he began performing at school events and gained popularity among peers. After university, Asake explored various creative pursuits, including dancing, teaching dance, playing keyboard, skit-making, Nollywood acting, and working as a road manager for comedian Broda Shaggi in 2019, while performing at low-paying gigs and nearly quitting music before his breakthrough.[1][2][3]
Asake's career surged in 2020 with the viral freestyle 'Mr Money' produced by Magicsticks, followed by tracks like 'Lady' that caught attention from influencers such as Broda Shaggi and Sydney Talker. In February 2022, he signed with Olamide's YBNL Nation label, leading to his debut album Mr. Money with the Vibe in September 2022, which broke records as the biggest opening day for an African album on Apple Music and debuted at number 66 on the Billboard 200. Supported by hits like 'Sungba' (remix with Burna Boy), 'Terminator', and 'Peace Be Unto You', the album propelled him to global stardom. Subsequent releases Work of Art (2023) and Lungu Boy (2024) continued his chart success, with the latter becoming his third consecutive number one in Nigeria.[1][2][4]
Asake's musical style blends Afrobeats, Afrofusion, Amapiano, Fuji music, street hop, and Nigerian pop, featuring up-tempo beats, Yoruba vocals mixed with English and Pidgin, and traditional Yoruba percussion. Signed to YBNL Nation with an EMPIRE distribution deal, he has earned accolades including Breakout Artist of the Year at the 2022 All Africa Music Awards, two Headies, one MOBO, and nominations for BET, Grammys, and NAACP Image Awards, establishing him as a leading figure in contemporary Nigerian music.[2][3]
Fun Facts
- Asake once performed at a gig paying only 20,000 Naira despite traveling with six dancers, highlighting his early struggles.
- His debut album Mr. Money with the Vibe amassed over 330 million streams on Audiomack by late 2022, crowning him Artiste of the Year.
- Asake briefly considered quitting music before his 2020 breakout and tried careers in dancing, teaching, skit-making, Nollywood, and road management.
- A tragic incident at his September 2022 London concert resulted in the deaths of two attendees from crowd crush injuries.
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Olamide - Signed Asake to YBNL Nation label, key mentor in career breakthrough (Amapiano (2023 single)) [2022-present]
Key Collaborators
- Magicsticks - Producer and friend who co-created breakout tracks (Mr Money (2020 freestyle)) [2020]
- Zlatan - Featured on remix (Mr Money remix) [2022]
- Peruzzi - Featured on remix (Mr Money remix) [2020-2022]
- Burna Boy - Featured on remix (Sungba remix) [2022]
- Broda Shaggi - Early supporter, collaborator on tracks; Asake worked as his road manager (Star, Gegeti (with DJ Xclusive)) [2019-2020]
Connection Network
External Links
Tags: #afrobeat, #afrobeats
References
Heard on WWOZ
asake has been played 7 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 3, 2026 | 17:39 | getting paidfrom protect sarz at all costs | World Journeyw/ Logan | |
| Dec 27, 2025 | 16:03 | why lovefrom why love | World Journeyw/ Logan | |
| Nov 29, 2025 | 16:43 | rememberfrom work of art | World Journeyw/ Logan | |
| Nov 29, 2025 | 16:25 | why lovefrom why love | World Journeyw/ Logan | |
| Nov 29, 2025 | 16:06 | .introductionfrom work of art | World Journeyw/ Logan | |
| Nov 15, 2025 | 17:50 | we've landedfrom rejoice | World Journeyw/ Logan | |
| Oct 18, 2025 | 16:34 | getting paidfrom protect sarz at all costs | World Journeyw/ Logan |