YBNL founder Olamide has shut down claims that he and singer Asake are no longer on good terms following the latter’s move away from the YBNL roster.
In an interview with BBC shared online on Friday ahead of his UK show, Olamide said their relationship remains solid despite changes in business structure.
“We’re still family. That’s my brother for life. It’s always the same thing with me and all my people, business is never personal, and after business, life goes on,” he said.
Rumours of a rift intensified earlier this year when Asake officially ended his contract with YBNL and announced his own imprint, Giran Republic. The singer also made several changes to his social media pages, moves many fans interpreted as a sign of a breakup between both camps.
Asake joined YBNL in February 2022 after years of pushing independently. His debut single under the label, ‘Omo Ope’, featuring Olamide, became a nationwide hit and cemented his mainstream breakthrough.
His success added to conversations about Olamide’s record of developing stars such as Adekunle Gold, Fireboy DML, Lil Kesh and Chinko Ekun.
Speculation intensified earlier this year when Asake launched his own imprint, Giran Republic, signalling a new stage of his career. Around the same period, entertainment lawyer Oluyemisi Falaye revealed that Asake had concerns about his contract but signed it out of excitement.
“I advised him not to sign it,” she said. According to her, Asake dismissed the warning, saying she was trying to “pour sand in my garri”. She added that the singer later felt the deal did not favour him, noting: “He felt so hurt… he felt cheated.”
