Before he was Omo Ope, Asake was Mr. Money and the Body man. The streets had a cultural reset with “Me I no dey cap, me I no dey form, my energy is high, what the fuck,” and Mr. Money dominated the airwaves before the remix with Zlatan and Peruzzi. Asake started out as a dancer while a student of Theatre Arts at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where he was popular for his memorable dance routines, electrifying performances and his single, ‘Joor Ah’.
Although Asake has been in the music industry for a while, 2022 is his year of ascent.
On the 8th of February, Olamide announced Asake as the latest YBNL signee, and six days later, Asake announced the release of his eponymously-titled debut EP, Ololade Asake. Perhaps people were curious about Olamide’s latest signee or genuinely drawn to the sound, regardless, starting out the year with ‘Omo Ope’ featuring Olamide worked. Two weeks after release, this single topped the charts.
He opens Ololade Asake with ‘Trabaye’ produced by Magicsticks. First used by Portable in ‘Zazoo Zeh’ ,”trabaye” means to enter an otherworldly state.
“Gbemi trabaye” has become a pop culture phrase used to ask the recipient to transport them to an ethereal land. In a choral style, exhibited in the video of ‘Omo Ope’, he expresses his desire to “trabaye“.
Usually, the route to trabaye is opiates, Asake ironically embeds spirituality with this style and the result is stunning. At the song’s end, Olamide welcomes Asake to the YBNL family.
On ‘Sungba’, he employs his usual lamba style, infused with abundant ad-libs, he encourages his audience to vibe with him.
Judging from social media response, ‘Sungba’ is rumoured to be the favourite out of the EP. With over one million streams on Spotify, ‘Omo Ope’ may be one of the best Nigerian songs of 2022 yet. Viral at parties and clubs is the line, “Mo sa’re f’owo mi s’aiye, k’omo mefa lo’le/Mr Money, ose o, emi omo ope o,” indicating one’s need to enjoy life to the fullest despite the challenges life constantly throws at him or her.
He rounds up with ‘Baba God’, a mellow tune produced by Niphkeys. He is both grateful and hopeful, trudging forward and handing over his life to God.
Judging from his previous offerings, Asake is a welcome addition to the burgeoning music scene, and if given time, his unique style and song writing prowess could produce a more cohesive project.
Although painfully short, Ololade Asake exhibits his potentials to ride anything to popularity, be it a song or a slang.
