Asake

Ahmed Ololade Asake (January 13, 1995), simply known as Asake, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter artist who rose to fame in 2020 with a series of upbeat singles that combined Afrobeats with Amapiano, a hybrid of deep house, jazz, and lounge music that emerged in South Africa in the 2010s. Born and raised in the state of Lagos, he studied theater and performing arts at Obafemi Awolowo University and began releasing original material back in 2018. His career took off in 2020 with the release of the singles "Lady" and "Mr. Money," both of which received the endorsement of social media influencers like Broda Shaggi and Tunde Ednut. The huge popularity of these singles allowed him to ink a deal with the YBNL and Empire Distribution in 2022, which released his debut EP Ololade Asake later that year. Driven by the Olamide-featured hit single "Omo Ope," the EP also featured the track "Sungba," whose remix featuring Burna Boy reached number 7 on the US Afrobeats Songs chart. This success was followed by the number 1 single "Peace Be Unto You" and "Terminator," which peaked at number 172 on the Billboard Global 200 and number 82 on the UK Singles Chart. Mr. Money with the Vibe, his highly anticipated studio debut, came out later that year and topped the Nigerian charts, also breaking several streaming records along the way. Its follow-up, 2023's Work of Art, fared even better, cracking the Top 5 of Billboard's World Albums chart and reaching number 66 on the Billboard 200 thanks to singles like "Yoga," "2:30," and "Amapiano" with Olamide. Preceded by the singles "Wave" and "Active," a third studio full-length titled Lungu Boy dropped in June 2024, entering the charts in Ireland, the UK, and the US, where it peaked at number 115.