Nigerian musician and songwriter Ahmed Ololade, popularly known as Asake, has spoken about his journey as a dancer before going into music
In this interview, Asake, who is signed to Olamide’s YBNL Nation and Empire Distribution with Black Entertainment Television (BET) Amplified Artist, an interactive program with superstars, also speaks about his fashion and what the future holds for him and his music.
The excerpts from the interview were monitored and transcribed by News.ng on Sunday.
Excerpts
BET: Who is Asake
Asake: Asake is a superstar from Nigeria. I got the name from my mother. She owned the name before me and I decided to have the name too.
BET: The Journey
Asake: It all started from school, and when I dropped a song, and the whole school went crazy on the song and I was like “Wow” am I the one everybody is dancing to my song like this? I just decided to leave everything and face the music.
Before music, I was a dancer, and I was doing other things that you know; guys have to do to make money. And that I can’t say, but dance was what I was doing.
But when everybody started going crazy for my music, I left every other things to focus on my music. My story is very long, you know, if I touch my story, we might not leave here. I won’t lie to you, the only thing I can say is how I got here today is by God’s grace, belief, consistency and endurance.
BET: Work of Art
Asake: The song I put on repeat every morning that I wake up is the first track of the album the title is”Olorun” Olurun means God, because God first, before anything is God. My Work of Art is just me trying to show the artistic part of me, in my own way like not trying to change anything, not trying to add too much of me, just trying to move the way life is going. The most important thing I want you to hold is me trying to show the artistic part of me.
BET: Creative Process
Asake: I think my music is just me trying to show the little world/word of mine to the rest of the world in my own way, my experience, my story, my lifestyle, my daily activities, things I have been through, trying to put everything together in my craft. My creative process is me, very spiritual, in my zone, in my own word, trying to get everything in my head out, it is just very spiritual, I just can’t explain it because I don’t even know how I see myself, the only thing I know is that I am in my zone at that time.
BET: Being True
Asake: At some point, a lot of people said NO to me, they did not allow me perform on their shows anymore because some people said”you speak Yoruba, we don’t even understand what you are saying” because I have been speaking Yoruba since but thank God I didn’t stop, I keep believing in myself and look at where I am today. I am so happy for myself.
BET: Fashion
Asake: Fashion gives me confidence, and myself I love to be in a good space, in love to look good. You know, I like when I look good, the moment I look good, I feel like there is no place I can’t step in, there is nobody I can’t talk to and fashion does that for me.
BET: Performing Live
Asake: For me, I feel like everything. I always put everything I have in my performance as if I will never have the opportunity to perform again, that is how I perform. I perform like, what if this is the last time of doing this one, that’s how I perform every time.
BET: What is next for Asake
Asake: The next goal for me is for the whole world to know Asake, to know me and that will happen in Jesus’ name, Amen.