Nigeria: Asake releases debut album Mr Money With The Vibe

The 12-track collection follows an impressive streak of releases, including Asake’s eponymous 2022 EP as well as chart-ripping singles ‘Peace Be Unto You’, ‘Terminator’ and the Burna Boy-assisted ‘Sungba (Remix)’, all of which were released in support of the new album.

A strictly pop project, Mr Money With The Vibe melds the in-vogue African sounds of Afrobeats and amapiano, and explores sober topics and buoyant themes alike, including love, daily life struggles, life in the fast lane and Asake’s current status. 

Before cracking nationwide fame in 2020, Asake enjoyed appreciable attention in the underground circuit, particularly during his time at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife where he studied theatre and performing arts. 

Since coming into his current repute as one of Afrobeats’ most exciting new voices, Asake has remained at the top, regularly releasing commercial hits while making guest appearances on records by big Nigerian names like DJ Spinall and label mate Fireboy DML. 

In June, speaking to Nigerian publication The Punch, Asake noted that “it feels good to be appreciated for one’s hard work and I wouldn’t call myself one of the raves, I would rather say one of the hardworking individuals putting out their works and it’s been appreciated by fans,” adding that his arrival into the limelight “also puts me under pressure to work even harder.”

About what sets his craft apart, Asake said: “The thing is, I am focused on me, my craft and how to keep making my fans happy. The industry is what it is, I work really hard to make my music and I put a lot of my time into my music. I don’t check-balance other artists because I believe everyone is unique in their own ways. I am Asake, I am my own sound and music.”

Asake will now take Mr Money With The Vibe on the road to the US starting 20 September. The tour, which will see him make stops in Chicago, Washington, DC, Baltimore and Dallas, among other cities, will come to a close on 9 October.