Asake, a rising Nigerian singer known for his hit song ‘Mr Money With The Vibe’, has recently opened up about how poverty led him to pursue a career in music. In an interview with ABC News, the 24-year-old artist shared that he initially started as a dancer, but eventually turned to singing because dancing couldn’t earn him enough money.
Despite not having any formal training in music, Asake had an early exposure to it through his parents. He said, “My parents used to play me a lot of classical Songs. They love listening to songs. The kind of father I have is the one that will wake up in the morning and have one cigarette then loud music.”
Although Asake originally wanted to pursue a career in dance, he eventually realized that it may not provide him with the financial stability he desired. He said, “But at the end of the day, after dancing I fell in love with having money too. Then I started thinking about it, is dance going to give me the kind of money I want?”
This realization prompted Asake to explore other avenues, leading him to discover his talent for singing. He explained, “At the end of the day, I feel like I can actually sing. Then I added music to it. Maybe because I know how to dance then I know how to bounce on music. I actually don’t want to be a musician in the first place. I just wanted to dance. It feels like water. I love everything that comes with dancing.”
Asake’s story highlights the struggles of many aspiring artists in Nigeria, where poverty is still rampant, and pursuing a career in the arts is often seen as a risky venture. Despite these challenges, Asake has managed to make a name for himself in the music industry and is quickly becoming one of Nigeria’s rising stars.
