Afrobeats sensation Ahmed Ololade, known professionally as Asake, returned to his roots on Monday with a visit to the Ooni of Ife’s palace in Osun State, shortly after making a grand helicopter entrance at Obafemi Awolowo University alongside his mother and friends.
The monarch, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, shared his excitement on Instagram Tuesday, welcoming the Grammy-nominated artist as a son of Ile-Ife who has brought honor to his homeland.
“My heart overflows with joy as I welcome Asake back to where his journey began,” the Ooni expressed, noting that the singer spent crucial years of his youth in Ile-Ife, shaped by discipline and determination.
The royal father also honored Asake’s mother, praising her as the foundation of her son’s success and thanking her for raising him with resilience and love. He extended appreciation to those who supported Asake throughout his journey, including actor Lala and his team, as well as Obafemi Awolowo University and its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Toyin Ogundeji.
“OAU has nurtured a cultural ambassador who carries Yoruba heritage across the world,” the monarch stated, adding that the university played a vital role in developing one of contemporary music’s brightest stars.
Asake studied Theatre Arts at OAU before breaking into Nigeria’s music mainstream in 2022 through Olamide’s YBNL Nation label. His distinctive fusion of Afrobeats with Fuji and traditional Yoruba sounds propelled hits like ‘Sungba’ and ‘Terminator’ to massive success, while his debut album ‘Mr. Money With The Vibe’ dominated Nigerian charts and gained international recognition.
The singer has since established himself as one of Nigeria’s leading musical exports, performing sold-out shows worldwide and becoming a festival headliner on the global circuit.
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