By Fasuyi Tolulope Samuel
Social media is ablaze with reports that Afrobeats star Asake has officially parted ways with YBNL, the renowned record label owned by Olamide.
Fans first noticed the rift when Asake unfollowed Olamide on Instagram, removed YBNL from his bio, and wiped all posts from his account.
Secondly, Olamide was absent at Asake’s Lungu Block party while the latter was also missing in the 25-man star studded artists list at OLIC 2024.
Prominent entertainment blogger, Cutie Juls, shed light on the situation, revealing that Asake’s contract with YBNL had reached its conclusion. The report alleges that Olamide presented a new deal to the artist, but Asake declined to sign it.
“Asake leaves YBNL and dumps Olamide. Insiders say Asake’s contract with Olamide’s YBNL expired, and when Olamide presented Asake with a new contract, Asake refused to sign,” the blogger wrote.
Read: Asake Tops Spotify Nigeria Most Streamed Artist of 2024
According to Cutie Juls, Olamide made considerable efforts to retain Asake under the label, but the artist was resolute. “Olamide apparently tried everything in his books to renew his record label with Asake, but Asake refused,” the blogger continued.
The situation reportedly reached a breaking point two weeks ago when Asake walked out of negotiations, signaling his decision to become independent. “
The final straw happened two weeks ago when Asake walked out completely out of the deal, opting to be his own boss,” the post concluded.
Despite the apparent split, there remains hope for reconciliation. The blogger added, “Hopefully, they will be able to resolve and get Asake to stay. As it is now, Olamide is looking for new artists.”
Asake, who joined YBNL in 2022, quickly rose to prominence with hits like “Sungba” and achieved monumental feats, including selling out the O2 Arena twice.
While fans are saddened by the end of his association with Olamide, many are eager to see how the artist’s journey unfolds as he embraces his independence.
