Asake
Artist
Ahmed Ololade (born January 13, 1995) is a Nigerian Afrobeats singer and songwriter, better known as Asake or Mr. Money, who is signed to YBNL Nation. Asake’s revealed the origin of his stage name in a February 2022 interview with All Music, saying:
The name is from my mum. My mum used to be a teacher at my school then. You know how students do it? Instead of them calling me Omo Asake. Omo means the child of Asake. I don’t know how they edited the Omo out of it and started calling me Asake. And I love her so much so I felt like I had to keep the name.
He enjoyed dancing in his youth, specialized in cultural dances, and was the drummer in a high school musical band, before graduating from Obafemi Awolowo University where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre & Performing Arts.
Asake spent years honing his craft until 2020, when he released his first single, “Lady,” which was warmly received by listeners. Given the excellent feedback on “Lady,” he followed it up with his second single, “Mr. Money” which catapulted him to a significantly larger audience, this led to the release of his debut EP, Ololade Asake, in 2022, which included other hit singles like “Omo Ope” and “Sungba.”
Asake is the epitome of a Nigerian Afrofusion singer who has won the hearts of many with his incredible lyrical prowess as well as his voice. He’s also the epitome of an artist who uses his songs to inspire people during their struggles:
My music talks about life in general. I grew up in a neighborhood that is considered dangerous, a neighborhood where everyone wakes up to hustle for their daily meals. It taught me how to survive in good times and bad times. So I draw inspiration from my real-life experiences to encourage everyone who thinks their present reality is constant; I want them to always remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
With his 2022 club anthem singles like “Sungba (Remix),” “Terminator,” “Joha,” “Dull,” and “Organise,” as well as being featured on successful songs like “Bandana,” Asake experienced a turning point in his career in 2022 where he also won an honor for Breakout Artist of the Year during the eighth Afrima edition.
