In the pulsating heart of Lagos, amidst the bustling streets of Isale Eko, a young artist named Asake embarked on a journey that would eventually lead him to one of the world's most iconic music venues, the O2 Arena in London. This is a story of passion, persistence, and the irresistible allure of Mr. Money.
Isale Eko is the oldest part of Lagos and was founded in the 14th century by the Awori people. It was originally a fishing village, but it grew in importance as a trading center. Isale Eko was also the site of the first European settlement in Lagos, which was established by the Portuguese in the 16th century. It is home to a number of important historical landmarks, including the Iga Idunganran, the palace of the Oba of Lagos. Other notable landmarks include the Enu Owa Mosque, the first public tap in Nigeria, and the Tinubu Square.
Ahmed Ololade was born on January 13, 1995, to a businessman father and a teacher mother. His mother taught at the school he attended, and in a bid to link him to his mother, his mates called him her name “Asake”. He developed an early interest in music and began singing and performing at a young age, starting out as a dancer. Growing up as a Muslim, he was brought up with a religious upbringing. As a young boy, he loved to dance and was very skilled at it, specializing in cultural dance and spending his free hours practicing to improve his skills. As a high school student, he performed at school events, thrilling his schoolmates and staff members with energetic cultural dances.
Asake's story cannot be told without mentioning Obafemi Awolowo University (O.A.U.), where he started off as a floater before gaining admission to study "Theater and Performing Arts", according to his friend Yhemolee. At O.A.U., Asake met and became friends with Yhemolee, Fireboy, Super Boy Cheque, Chinko Ekun, and Blaqbones.
They all began their music journey while at O.A.U. and, in 2016, when they completed their studies, they were faced with the realities of adulthood. Asake decided to pursue music professionally in 2018, inspired by the success of music stars like Olamide, Davido, Wizkid, 9ice, and Wande Coal. He entered the Afrobeats music space, focusing on Afrofusion songs that blend Hip Hop, Amapiano, R&B, and Fuji sounds to create music that stands out from other artists.
He started as a backup singer for Broda Shaggi‘s band, performing at shows and events across the country. He began releasing music around 2018, blending bright Afrobeat rhythms with his own mix of singing and nimble freestyling, developing his sound over early singles like "Ayeeza" and "Kanipe,”. He collaborated with Broda Shaggi to release the single Star in 2019. The song did pretty well in the market and helped more music fans to learn of his talent.
Asake found breakout success in 2020 with "Lady," an indelibly sunny track with a brisk beat and good-time vibes. The song went viral on social media because different influencers reposted the single on their pages and content creators used it as background music in their videos. The success of Lady paved the way for Asake to drop the hit song, Mr. Money, which was one of the trending singles of 2020. The song earned him a second nickname: Mr. Money. He went on to release the songs “Dont Hype Me” and “Yan Yan” in 2021, which gave people further insight into what to expect from him.
In 2022, Asake dropped the single Omo Ope. The song went viral on the internet. And this time around, it got to the ears of legendary Nigerian artist and music executive, Olamide. He fell in love with the song and decided to record his verse to the single.
Shortly after, Olamide invited Asake for a meeting and offered to sign him to the YBNL record label. Asake took the offer and joined the YBNL family. He was unveiled as YBNL‘s latest signee on the 8th of February 2022. Thereafter, Asake released his debut EP, Ololade Asake. The music project is home to four hit tracks – Omo Ope, Sungba, Trabaye, and Baba God. All of this built up to the September release of Mr. Money with the Vibe, the singer's debut album.
In 2022, he put out a couple of singles and features in anticipation of his debut album. He appeared as a featured artist on DJ Spinall‘s song, Palazzo ****on the 13th of May 2022. In June, he then dropped the chart-topping single, Peace Be Unto You (PBUY).
When his debut full-length, Mr. Money with the Vibe, arrived later that year, it reached the upper half of the Billboard 200, peaking at number 66 on the Pop chart. An eclectic and wide-ranging mix of styles that included Afrobeats, Fuji, classical elements, and plenty of glowing pop. The album was supported by the hit singles "Terminator", "Peace Be Unto You", and a remix of "Sungba" with Grammy Award-winning Burna Boy.
‘Mr Money with the Vibe’ held the sole record for the most No.1 songs by any album in Nigeria. Sungba Remix, Peace Be Unto You, Terminator, and Omo Ope all spent a collective 6 weeks at the summit of the charts.
In September 2022, Asake announced the Mr. Money with the Vibe United Kingdom tour, selling out 3 dates at the O2 Academy Brixton in London.
In December 2022, Asake was crowned "artiste of the year" by Audiomack after his debut studio album Mr. Money with the Vibes amassed over 330 million streams. He was also nominated for the BET Awards in the Best New International Act category.
Asake was named one of the most streamed and top trending artists in February 2023 by Audiomack, along with Kizz Daniel, Snazzy the Optimist, and 1ucid, after releasing the single "Yoga" in January 2023, which incorporated sega music. He followed this up with the tracks "2:30" in April and "Amapiano" with Olamide in May.
His sophomore album, "Work of Art," exceeded expectations as Asake took listeners on a musical rollercoaster with his tracks, showcasing his mastery of his music genre. It comes as no surprise that "Work of Art" performed just as well, if not better, than his debut album.
"Work of Art" has broken the record held by "Mr. Money With The Vibe" as the album with the most No.1 songs. "Yoga," "Amapiano," "2:30," and "Lonely at the Top" are the No.1 songs from the album, spending a total of 10 weeks at the top of the charts.
Asake's first performance at the O2 Arena in London, one of the largest and most prestigious indoor arenas in the world with a capacity of 20,000, was scheduled for August 20, 2023.
Asake made a dramatic entrance, strapped onto the railings of a descending military-designed helicopter with YBNL emblazoned on its rear, while his hit song "Yoga" serenaded the expectant audience. He started his performance with songs like "Olorun," "Organise," "Sunmomi," "Dupe," and "Mr. Money," all off his debut album "Mr. Money With The Vibe." Asake then went on to perform hits from an impressive catalog of songs, including the global hit "Lonely At The Top."
The concert featured guest performances from top artists such as Tiwa Savage, Fireboy, Fridayy, and Asake's label boss, Olamide, who was beaming with pride as they performed together.
Asake also brought out one-half of the Lighthouse Family duo to perform the song "Ocean Drive" (Sun's going to shine on everything you do) at the O2 Arena. Asake had sampled the song in one of his recently released songs titled "Sunshine."
With this accomplishment, Asake joins the ranks of Nigerian music stars such as Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy who have successfully sold out the prestigious O2 Arena.
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