Asake

Street PopLagos, Lagos StateSince 2022Active

Biography

Asake, born Ahmed Ololade in 1990 in Lagos State, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter who achieved one of the most spectacular rises in Nigerian music history with a debut that combined Yoruba language lyrical density, Fuji-influenced vocal runs, and contemporary Afrobeats production into a sound that felt entirely original. He had previously released music without significant commercial success before signing to Olamide's YBNL Nation and the international label Empire Records in 2022, a partnership that gave him the resources and platform to execute his vision at scale. His debut project Mr Money With the Vibe (2022) contained the consecutive smash singles Omo Ope, Palazzo, Peace Be Unto You (PBUY), Joha, and Trabaye — a run of hits so consistent and so musically distinctive that it announced him as an entirely new kind of Nigerian pop star. The project debuted at high positions on streaming charts across Africa and made him a household name in months. His debut album Ololade Asake (2022) continued this momentum, producing the self-titled track and further cementing his critical reputation. Asake's second album Work of Art (2023) demonstrated artistic ambition and creative expansion, reaching audiences beyond Nigeria and earning coverage in major international music publications. He performed at the O2 Arena in London, where a crowd crush incident during a sold-out concert in 2022 brought tragic attention to his rapidly growing fanbase. He continues to develop an artistic vision rooted in Yoruba language, street authenticity, and the spiritual weight of Fuji music, creating a synthesis that sounds unlike anything previously in the Nigerian pop mainstream.