From Obscurity to Stardom: How Asake Became a Household Name

From being an underground artist to a world-renowned superstar, the rapid rise of Asake has been nothing short of phenomenal. Asake's hard work and talent are a testament to his rise to the top. But how did he go from obscurity to becoming a household name?

Asake was born on the 13th of January, 1995, and was named Ahmed Ololade at birth. He began his entertainment career as a dancer from a very young age but ventured into music much later as he grew up. The origins of his music career can be traced back to his early days as a student of Theater and Film Studies at Obafemi Awolowo University.

Asake began catching the eyes of the public and record labels after the release of his single Mr. Money in 2020. In February 2022, Asake signed to YBNL Records, owned by popular Nigerian rapper Olamide. In the same month, he released his first breakout song titled "Omo Ope." He later released another track called "Sungba," which exploded in popularity and brought him into the limelight.

Asake draws heavy influence from Fuji music, adopting a modern twist to it. His sound has been described as 'unique' and 'distinct.' His music came at a time when the Nigerian music scene was yearning for something new. His style, which was uncommon at the time, was a breath of fresh air, attracting many music lovers and catapulting his career.

Asake endured several hurdles before his breakout. His rise to the top saw him achieve several accomplishments. In September 2022, Asake's debut album Mr. Money with the Vibe set the record for the highest opening day ever for an African album on Apple Music and debuted at number 66 on the Billboard 200 chart. His second album, Work of Art, was released in June 2023 and also debuted at number 66. In 2023, Asake sold out the O2 Arena in London, becoming one of the few elite Afrobeat artists to accomplish this feat. 

In June 2024, Asake announced plans for an international tour titled the Lungu Boy World Tour, which will coincide with the release of his new album, Lungu Boy.The song "Lungu Boy" by Asake is achieving great success, landing five tracks in the top 10 of the TurnTable Top 100 chart. 'Lungu Boy' broke the record for the most streams on its opening day for a Nigerian album on Spotify, reaching 9. 2 The album includes well-known UK drill artists Central Cee and Stormzy on the songs "Wave" and "Suru," and it also features American rapper Travis Scott on the song "Active. " 

The second song on the album 'MMS' had 870,577 streams on its first day on Spotify Nigeria. This is a new record, breaking the old one of 626,000 streams set by Wizkid's song 'IDK' featuring Zlatan.  

Asake's journey from obscurity to becoming a household name shows that with hard work, talent, perseverance, and a little bit of luck, it is possible to achieve your dreams as an artist.