Best Of Asake: Chronicling Asake’s Rise In 10 Songs
Asake is a brand you will undoubtedly enjoy if you enjoy good music and Grass-to-Grace stories. On January 13, 1995, Asake was born Ahmed Ololade, and he has since gone on to make an impression on the music community with his brilliance and musicianship. In some of his tracks, Asake draws from Fuji. In addition, he combines fast Afro and production in the Amapiano style.
With “Lady,” Asake first gained some notoriety in January 2020. Asake’s “Lady” became a social media sensation after certain content producers used it as the soundtrack to some of their videos. Influencers who enjoyed the song also reposted it on their pages. Influencers and singers, including Broda Shaggi and Syndey Talker, exploited the song to produce content. Blaque Beats was given producing credit for the recording of Asake’s “Lady.”
Even though he started in the music business in 2019, he couldn’t get the attention of Nigerians who loved music and needed fresh music until he released “Mr. Money” in 2020 and had to remix the song with Zlatan and Peruzzi. Asake released more music before he was signed to YBNL Records, including “Medusa” and “Yan Yan.”
He released Ololade, his debut extended play, which included the Olamide-featuring song “Omo Ope,” his breakout hit. A month later, Burna Boy’s line was added to the remix of “Sungba,” the EP’s second song. Asake and Empire agreed to a distribution agreement in July 2022.
On September 8, 2022, Asake released Mr. Money with the Vibe, his debut studio album, seven months after the release of his debut EP. The popular singles “Terminator,” “Peace Be Unto You,” and the Burna Boy and Sungba remix of “Sungba” all helped to promote the album. Fans in his native Nigeria and worldwide responded well to the album, which broke multiple records. Asake launched his world tour later that year, selling out three of his London performances at the O2 Academy Brixton.
Asake announced the UK leg of the Mr. Money and the Vibe tour in September 2022. On the penultimate night of Asake’s Brixton Academy performances, a crowd crush left several individuals gravely injured. Two victims, 23-year-old security guard Gaby Hutchinson and 33-year-old concertgoer Rebecca Ikumelo, died due to their injuries. The Afrobeat newcomer expressed his sadness over the incident at subsequent interviews and even met with the families of the bereaved.
Asake earned the Male MVP honor at the Soundcity MVP Awards held at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos in February 2023 and got to speak about his songs on Good Morning America in April 2023. He appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s show and other top-rated events and programs.
His ascent from the bottom to the top has been steady. Asake is one of the most well-known Afrobeat musicians working today, and thanks to his cult-hero reputation, he frequently collaborates with top Nigerian entertainers and artists from other countries. This June, he will release a new project called “Work Of Art,” as a follow-up to his “Mr. Money With The Vibe(MMWTmany are already calling it a banger of an album. This album will reintroduce Asake to the thronging audience while he builds on the foundation his earlier works laid for him.
Mind You, almost all of Asake’s songs are amapiano gems. The “Omo Ope” crooner’s rise to fame will be explored in this article utilizing a selection of his songs that have demonstrated his professional development and connected with listeners worldwide.
Let’s get into it.
“Mr. Money”
Asake, a fast-rising Nigerian singer and songwriter, debuted his new classic song, “Mr. Money,” which caused the audience to turn toward him and marvel at how he managed to push himself on the stage with such audacity, which was unusual for a new act in the business. This new song was just released a few months after the successful debut of his smash tune, “Lady.” Magicsticks was responsible for the track’s production, mixing, and mastering.
“Omo Ope” Featuring Olamide
In 2022, Grace significantly found Asake. A party wasn’t complete without an Asake song being played because almost everything he touched turned to “Gold.” He was the king of the rave, no doubt about it. In 2022, Asake released the song “Omo Ope,” which became much more popular online than other songs. Olamide, a well-known Nigerian musician, heard the song and added his verse to Asake’s hit. Later, Olamide was a part of Asake’s “Omo Ope” remix. Asake’s success with the remix indicated that he was ready for stardom, and it was via this that Asake made his way to getting signed into YBNL records. Since signing for the label, he has had other “olamide-collaborations,” with the latest being “Amapiano,” expected to be in the soon-to-be-released album.
“Palazzo” With DJ Spinall
After his debut EP, Ololade Asake, Nigeria’s rising talent Asake released “Palazzo,” his first single, in 2022. For music enthusiasts, it immediately reminded them of a combination of Amapiano’s percussion and progression, Hip-Hop’s drum patterns and arrangement, Sung-Rap’s technique and delivery, and Fuji’s vocal texture and vocal effort. Many attempted to categorize “Palazzo” as Neo-Fuji, Fuji-Fusion, Fujipiano, and Amapiano-Fusion; some wanted to label it humorously “Afro-Fuji,” for uninformed reasons. But according to Quincy Jones, Asake’s music is simply a compilation of musical components that are exclusively Nigerian (Yoruba), including the Hip-Hop/Rap component. What gave rise to Fuji shares similar sonics with the origins and components of what Hip-Hop/Rap has evolved into.
“Sungba” Featuring Burna Boy
The “MMWTV” album’s final lap is victorious, capping it off with the remix of “Sungba” with Burna Boy, probably one of the year’s biggest tracks. In under 30 minutes, Asake embraces the trope of Amapiano, which is its originality as a genre but breaks the norms with his musical constitution. His musical palette ranges from street vibes to local crooning and playful wordplay exercises. With the aid of his producer, whose presence makes this debut noteworthy, the Nigerian appears to have broken the formula for mainstream Amapiano, and Burna Boy goes in like the Pro he is.
“Organise”
Organise, the fourth single from Asake’s debut album Mr. Money With The Vibe, was available in August 2022. The dancehall track implores listeners to plan their life and pursue their objectives. The song’s famous chorus repeats “Organise yourself” in English and Pidgin. Amapiano beats and Asake’s rap-singing style is also present in the song.
Critics and listeners have given the song varying ratings, praising Asake’s singing and production while criticizing his words and inventiveness. Some reviewers claimed that Asake had copied Burna Boy’s style by comparing the song to “Anybody” by the latter. Others applauded the song’s positive energy and inspiring message. Additionally, the song has received over 5 million streams on Audiomack and has been played on a number of playlists and radio stations. The song’s music video, which TG Omori created, has Asake performing in various settings, including a forest, an exam room, and other TG aesthetics. The song “Organise” displays Asake’s skill and range as a performer. It is one of the songs from his debut album, Mr. Money With The Vibe, that may be danced to.
“Reason” Featuring Russ
One of the shocks on the MMWTV album is Russ’s appearance, one of Asake’s first overseas collaborations. The American rapper joins Asake on an up-and-coming song called “Reason,” co-sharing his ascent to fame with the artist appearing on the right track. The characteristic is not only unexpected. Russ’s verse is distinctly cozier and pleasant, ideal for Asake’s approach to the song. It is succinct and makes both acts in the song feel accomplished.
“Terminator”
Asake released this song as a solo artist in 2022. The song is an upbeat dance track combining rap, Fuji, and amapiano. The song has received accolades for its upbeat mood, memorable hook, and over 20 million listens on Audiomack. As stated by Pulse Nigeria, it is “a blend of Amapiano by percussive elements and progression; Hip-Hop by way of the drum patterns/arrangement; sung-rap, by way of his technique and delivery; and Fuji by way of his vocal texture and vocal exertion.”
“Joha”
This is another one of Asake’s solo songs released in 2022 that was primarily streamed by music fans, which helped it reach the top of the local charts. Mid-tempo love tune that highlights Asake’s sultry vocals and sentimental lyrics. The song has received positive reviews from fans and critics, with over 10 million streams on Audiomack. Genius described it as “a sweet serenade to his lover.”
“Peace Be Unto You” (PBUY)
The second single from Asake’s debut album, Mr. Money With The Vibe, is a song titled “Peace Be Unto You,” which was released in June 2022. The song is a spiritual and upbeat melody encouraging listeners to believe in God and face their concerns. The song’s chorus is gospel-inspired and repeats “Peace be unto you” in English and Yoruba. Amapiano beats and Asake’s distinctive rap-singing style is also in the song.
Asake’s message, voice, and production were lauded by critics and listeners who gave the song positive reviews. Additionally, the music has received over 10 million Audiomack streams and has been played on a number of radio stations and playlists. Asake performs the song in various settings, including a church, a beach, and a rooftop, in the music video for the song, which Clarence Peters directed. Asake’s faith, skill, and range as an artist are all demonstrated in the song Peace Be Unto You. It is a standout track from his debut album, Mr. Money With The Vibe.
“Bandana” Featuring Fireboy DML
Asake’s song Bandana, which includes Fireboy DML, is called such. The track was made available in 2022 as the third single from the “Playboy” album by Fireboy. The love ballad conveys Asake and Fireboy’s affection for their partners and addresses detractors who will “never see them coming.”
The song’s smooth R&B atmosphere, though shaded by the amapiano vibe, highlights Asake and Fireboy’s harmonies in the lyrics and singing. Both critics and listeners have given the song favorable reviews, praising Asake and Fireboy’s chemistry, vocals, and production. Bandana is a song that displays Asake and Fireboy’s talent and range as musicians. It has also received over a million streams on Audiomack and has been included on numerous playlists and radio stations. It is one of “Playboy” Fireboy’s smoothest songs.
“2:30”
After the spiritually inspired “Yoga,” this is Asake’s second song released in 2023. Asake sings a love song about his love interest while outlining his ascent to fame and notoriety. The piece reveals Asake’s feelings and how he copes with life as a star. For a brief period following its release, the song dethroned Davido’s “Unavailable” at the top of the Nigerian Apple Music list.
Notable Mention: “Loaded” Featuring Tiwa Savage
This became his first female collaboration, and as expected, the duo finessed the track so much that from the vocal delivery to melody to synchronization, even the video had audiences spellbound and applauding from start to finish.
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