Grammy Award-nominated Nigerian artist, Ahmed Ololade, popularly known as Asake, is currently trending on X in Nigeria after some of his recent actions sparked rumors of a dispute with his record label, YBNL, and its founder, Olamide.
The controversy began when Asake made dramatic changes to his Instagram profile. A check by Tribune Online confirmed that the 'Sungba' singer had removed YBNL from his Instagram bio and unfollowed everyone, including Olamide.
Adding to the drama, Asake's notable absence at Olamide's recent concert in Lagos was also quickly interpreted as a sign of a possible disagreement with the label.
Speculation grew when reports suggested that Asake's contract, which he signed with YBNL in February 2022, had expired and that he had rejected an offer to renew it. Instead, he is rumored to be pursuing an independent career.
However, the development has continued to spark different reactions on social media, particularly on succeed. regardless.
Criticizing Asake for his alleged departure from YBNL, controversial social media critic @DanielRegha wrote: “Asake cannot afford to fight with Olamide or break up at this time. He is still an up-and-comer in the game and his fan base is mostly YBNL fans who are die-hard fans of Olamide; This means that its relevance is partly linked to Olamide's influence in the industry. He is no doubt a global sensation but he still has more to lose if there is a problem with Olamide or YBNL at this early stage of his music career. “No offense.”
Taking the opposite view, popular music influencer @itzbasito tweeted: “Asake leaving YBNL is not a bad thing for him, it was just a matter of time. Artists can't stay on a record label forever, sooner or later the artist will have to leave the label that put them on. Stop making it seem like Asake leaving YBNL means he is ungrateful to Olamide. “Asake will be fine and YBNL will be fine too.”
However, this is not the first time Asake's actions have raised questions about his relationship with YBNL. In June 2024, he made similar changes to his social media profile, leading to widespread speculation.
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