Asake Is Just Having Fun

Asake is all about embracing the present and reaching for the top. Since releasing his debut EP Ololade Asake in 2022, the Nigerian artist has asserted his dominance on the charts, earning him the coveted title of our 2022 Afrobeats Artist of the Year.

“I dropped my first EP on Audiomack, and I know how Nigerians really go crazy [on the app],” Asake attests to the pivotal role Audiomack has played in his career. “I appreciate Audiomack a lot.” Asake’s ascendance has been quick yet impactful. Last year’s breakthrough

, Mr. Money With The Vibe solidified his star power and showcased that visual artistry and storytelling are integral to his sound.“When I’m recording the song, I’m thinking about the visuals too, immediately,” he says”.

On his latest album, released June 15 and already the most streamed album of the year on Audiomack by a wide margin, Asake takes this philosophy to a new level. “Work of Art is like a new Asake, a grown Asake,” he reveals. “I actually want everybody to listen to the project and be like, ‘Yeah, this guy is growing.’” Asake’s music is a vibrant fusion of diverse sounds and genres, utilizing both Yoruba and English, with a particular affinity for the rapidly growing South African-born amapiano genre. “I fell in love with Amapiano years ago because it’s always fun. It’s happy,” he says. This love was the driving force behind one of the biggest collaborations of the ear, “Amapiano,” featuring Olamide

When it comes to musical inspiration, Asake credits Olamide for helping shape his artistic vision. “Everybody has that somebody that’ll come at a point in your life that will take you to where you need to be,” he says. “Olamide is actually the one that gives me the confidence to be able to be who I am today.”

Asake’s future aspirations burn brightly with an unwavering ambition that propels him forward. “In the next 10 years, where would I be?” he reflects out loud. “What would I be doing? That is what has been keeping me going because I always want more.” With his sights firmly fixed on creating a lasting legacy within the Afrobeats genre, his story is poised to be a testament to relentless determination and artistic ingenuity. “I think anywhere I find myself in the next 10 years,” he says, pondering, “I want to be able to say, ‘Thank you, God.’”

Credits: Audiomack

Interviewer: Emanuel Okusanya