I met Asake, he's very Stubborn. — Transcript

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1. 0:01Hello, I'm Mercedes, your voice
2. 0:03assistant. Would you like to know more
3. 0:05about what I can do for you?
4. 0:14What can I do for you?
5. 0:21>> [music]
6. 0:49>> Gilo is a Yoruba song which means
7. 0:52stubborn, but it could also mean someone
8. 0:54who moves differently and finds their
9. 0:56own path.
10. 1:00All over the world, 2020 was a very
11. 1:02strange year. The pandemic hit and a lot
12. 1:04of people struggled to adjust into a new
13. 1:06way of life. While businesses were
14. 1:08crashing, the music industry was
15. 1:10booming. Artists like Omah Lay, Tems,
16. 1:13and so on broke out during this period.
17. 1:15In that same year, Asake released a song
18. 1:18called Mr. Money, which gradually gained
19. 1:19popularity. But after that one hit song
20. 1:22in 2020, Asake seemed to have
21. 1:24disappeared.
22. 1:33And this baby, talk to me. So, you know,
23. 1:36in the calendar you were like, "Oh, that
24. 1:382020 was very tough." 2020, it was
25. 1:41serious, though.
26. 1:43It was serious, though.
27. 2:06Two years later, after so much trial and
28. 2:08error, Asake eventually got signed to
29. 2:10Olamide's YBNL Records. Between 2022 and
30. 2:132024, Asake dropped three studio albums,
31. 2:16[clears throat] won over 25 awards,
32. 2:19including the MOBO Awards, Grammy
33. 2:20nominations, BET, MTV VMAs, and so on.
34. 2:24It was an unbeatable work rate. His life
35. 2:26experienced a complete turnaround.
36. 2:43>> [music]
37. 2:53>> Asake is back in Nigeria for the first
38. 2:55time since he moved to LA about 3 years
39. 2:57ago, and I've been asked to spend the
40. 2:59next few days with him.
41. 3:09>> [music]
42. 3:18[music]
43. 3:29[music]
44. 3:34[music]
45. 3:42[music]
46. 3:47[music]
47. 3:53[music]
48. 3:57>> How old are you, chief?
49. 4:02Do you mind if I get out? This is so
50. 4:03fresh.
51. 4:04Thanks, man. You know, I'm coming from
52. 4:05America all these years, fam.
53. 4:09>> [laughter]
54. 4:14[laughter]
55. 4:20[laughter]
56. 4:39[laughter]
57. 4:44>> Is this your first time driving the car?
58. 4:46A long time. I didn't drive it in a
59. 4:47while. When did you buy it? A month ago.
60. 4:50How many cars do you have? Right now, in
61. 4:52Lagos, I have like five.
62. 4:54>> Oh, yeah, you're not even living in
63. 4:55Lagos. I be now.
64. 4:57I'm earning now.
65. 5:04Why do you like money so much? Because
66. 5:07I more like freedom.
67. 5:14At least also 80% of income to money
68. 5:17like to save. So, 20% I face it, but
69. 5:20life no balance.
70. 5:26How much are you going to give me back?
71. 5:27Like 60. Promise? Are you going to give
72. 5:29me back?
73. 5:31I'll give you 60, but give me 40, I'll
74. 5:32give you 60. That's That's [laughter]
75. 5:3450% gain.
76. 5:38Hi. I wanted to say hi. How are you?
77. 5:41Good. Well done, bro. How old are you,
78. 5:43chief?
79. 5:47All right, cool.
80. 5:49How old are you, chief? What are you
81. 5:50doing in this YouTube?
82. 5:53They know when to joke and they know
83. 5:55when to be serious.
84. 5:56You know when to joke and to be serious.
85. 5:58Do I? How would I know? Like with the
86. 6:00little time we spent with me. Have you
87. 6:01been joking me?
88. 6:02Yeah, cuz, you know, you have to be
89. 6:04comfortable. No, me, I'm I'm okay now.
90. 6:06I'm okay, too.
91. 6:08>> [laughter]
92. 6:11>> Sometimes
93. 6:16My life is always go to the club,
94. 6:18perform, or go to concerts, come back.
95. 6:20>> You're an organized person.
96. 6:27>> [music]
97. 6:29[laughter]
98. 6:31[music]
99. 6:36[music]
100. 6:40[music]
101. 6:48[music]
102. 6:53[music]
103. 7:28>> Angel, angel.
104. 7:32Salute, man.
105. 7:43>> [music]
106. 7:49[music]
107. 7:54[music]
108. 8:04>> My name is Alexa Rae Perkins. I am Mr.
109. 8:08Money's manager
110. 8:10um and business partner.
111. 8:13When I first met him, it was his first
112. 8:16time coming to America. It was in 2022.
113. 8:20The day he signed to Empire
114. 8:23was the day that I first started working
115. 8:26at Empire. It was in the same week. So,
116. 8:28they were filling my roster of who were
117. 8:31going to be my artist as a label
118. 8:34manager, and they were like, "You're
119. 8:35going to work with Asake." I remember he
120. 8:37came down and he was full Balenciaga,
121. 8:39head to toe, glasses on.
122. 8:42And he was quiet, and he didn't he
123. 8:43didn't say too much, but like was very
124. 8:46kind.
125. 8:49>> [music]
126. 8:56[music]
127. 9:01[music]
128. 9:07[music]
129. 9:12[music]
130. 9:16>> You look so good.
131. 9:18You look so good.
132. 9:43All right, are you are you Asake now?
133. 9:58I think we just did a a
134. 10:32>> [laughter]
135. 10:57[music]
136. 11:02[music]
137. 11:12[music]
138. 11:27[music]
139. 11:49[music]
140. 11:54[music]
141. 12:01[music]
142. 13:01>> Asake's parents may not have been the
143. 13:03wealthiest of people, but their
144. 13:05mentality was not poor. They knew the
145. 13:07importance of protecting their child
146. 13:08from the environment he was exposed to.
147. 13:10However, this was one stubborn child, so
148. 13:12he was going to find his way no matter
149. 13:14how hard they tried to protect him.
150. 14:03>> [laughter]
151. 14:21>> Um, 15.
152. 14:45>> [laughter]
153. 14:54[laughter]
154. 15:05>> If your father was here now, where would
155. 15:07he be sitting? Like, sitting with us
156. 15:08here like this. Daddy love is still the
157. 15:10same.
158. 15:49Asake's been absolutely killing it. I
159. 15:51think we are watching the birth of a
160. 15:53star. We're definitely watching the
161. 15:54growth and the elevation of a star
162. 15:55without a shadow of a doubt. Asake's the
163. 15:57name to watch right now.
164. 15:59>> [applause]
165. 16:02>> Um, my name is Mark. Some people call me
166. 16:04Kafo. I'm Asake's tour production
167. 16:06director. It's the best job I've ever
168. 16:07done in my life. When you work with
169. 16:09somebody that's like so easy, like you
170. 16:12would think that like because of who he
171. 16:14is that there might be an ego or like he
172. 16:17might talk down on you, but he like he
173. 16:19treats everybody like they're all human
174. 16:20beings.
175. 16:27I never had somebody that was able to I
176. 16:30could talk to that was like a big
177. 16:31brother to me cuz I always normally
178. 16:33would go to my dad, but of course my dad
179. 16:35passed away, so he was just somebody
180. 16:37that came out of the blue
181. 16:39and I never imagined we'd get this
182. 16:41close. I always appreciate him because
183. 16:42he's always honest and one thing he
184. 16:44taught me that I never had was patience.
185. 16:46Really at the end of the day just
186. 16:47patience. Like I've learned that. Yes,
187. 16:49Mom.
188. 16:51What's up, gangster?
189. 16:53>> [laughter]
190. 17:12>> Uh, my name is Toki. I go by Toki. Let
191. 17:15me first say my full name is Oluwatoki.
192. 17:17I call myself a businessman, honestly. I
193. 17:19work with Asake.
194. 17:22Great guy. Great guy. Oh, let me tell
195. 17:23you something funny. The first day I met
196. 17:25him after we left the club, boom, I'm
197. 17:28like,
198. 17:29"Yo, I got to go home to my girlfriend."
199. 17:31At the time I had a girlfriend. "I have
200. 17:32to go home to my girlfriend." He said,
201. 17:33"Ah, you're a great guy."
202. 17:35And I didn't get it.
203. 17:37But in the song,
204. 17:38he says something about going back home
205. 17:41to your girl. It literally goes, "I will
206. 17:43see you guys in the morning, you know, I
207. 17:44got to go be with my baby, yo." And I
208. 17:46was like, "Nah, this guy is deep." And
209. 17:49then it was funny because we were
210. 17:49leaving the club and I was driving home.
211. 17:51So, you know, the song was like, "Tim ba
212. 17:52mo ti mo ma de lo." He says something
213. 17:55real deep with it and it's so
214. 17:57intentional because
215. 17:59"I really vibe you guys seeing my
216. 18:01lifestyle. Oh, what's up, kid?"
217. 18:04>> [music]
218. 18:09[music]
219. 18:19>> Okay.
220. 18:55Are you okay?
221. 19:01Yes. Okay.
222. 19:37>> [music]
223. 19:44[music]
224. 19:50>> Ah.
225. 19:52>> [music]
226. 19:59[music]
227. 20:03[music]
228. 20:18[music]
229. 20:56[laughter]
230. 21:04[laughter]
231. 21:06[music]
232. 21:14[music]
233. 21:21>> Over the years, I've seen fans [music]
234. 21:23interact with celebrities. I've seen
235. 21:25fans go crazy over artists, but what I
236. 21:27experienced on this day felt so
237. 21:29different. It was pure. It was
238. 21:31undiluted. [music] It was joy.
239. 21:53>> [music]
240. 21:59>> The students were beaming with pride and
241. 22:01joy, but most importantly, there was
242. 22:03hope in their eyes. Almost like they
243. 22:04needed this moment just as much as I
244. 22:06shall carry in my heart.
245. 22:15>> [music]
246. 22:21[music]
247. 22:26[music]
248. 22:31[music]
249. 22:40[music]
250. 22:48[music]
251. 22:54[music]
252. 22:58>> I made it not give up.
253. 23:00I swear down I made did not give up. You
254. 23:03cannot use one chance like this to give
255. 23:04up. Trust me. He's not giving up.
256. 23:10Did you know you were going to be this
257. 23:11big?
258. 23:13Yes.
259. 23:18>> [laughter]
260. 24:01>> When I think of the artist that I know
261. 24:03he can be, he will be somebody that is
262. 24:06remembered forever and I think we've
263. 24:07already done that. I know that there's
264. 24:10so much greatness that he is capable of
265. 24:12and I will bet on myself as well, too.
266. 24:14If he tells me anything that he wants to
267. 24:16do from
268. 24:18write a movie, be in a movie,
269. 24:20commercials, brand deals, perform on the
270. 24:23moon, we're going to perform on the
271. 24:24moon.
272. 24:37Are you getting more ambitious as you
273. 24:39are getting older? Definitely.
274. 24:42Why? I got so many things to lose.
275. 24:58>> [music]
276. 24:58>> Post or two.
277. 25:03>> [music]
278. 25:11[music]
279. 25:24[music]
280. 25:33[clears throat]
281. 25:46[music]
282. 25:53[music]
283. 26:03[music]
284. 26:10[music]
285. 26:11[snorts]
286. 26:26[music]
287. 26:31[music]
288. 26:36[music]
289. 26:45>> How would you describe love?
290. 27:00So, even if I love you so much to move
291. 27:04on and go.
292. 27:09Good more.
293. 27:12That's love.
294. 27:14I think a lot of people
295. 27:18speak without knowledge.
296. 27:21And want to make assumptions based on
297. 27:25any and everything.
298. 27:27How could our relationship be what it
299. 27:30is? How could we work together coming
300. 27:32from two complete backgrounds? And I
301. 27:34think if I wasn't who I was
302. 27:37and if I didn't believe in myself and I
303. 27:38didn't believe in him, I think a all
304. 27:41that could have gotten away, but there's
305. 27:43nothing anybody could say that's ever
306. 27:45going to make me not believe and bet on
307. 27:47myself. And there's nothing anybody
308. 27:50could ever say about him
309. 27:52that would make me
310. 27:54leave.
311. 27:55Um one thing I learned about him
312. 27:57is like
313. 27:58money
314. 28:00is not everything. It's really more
315. 28:01about
316. 28:03relationships, friendships, and the way
317. 28:06you honestly have a sense of loyalty.
318. 28:08Loyalty is one because tomorrow like
319. 28:12you can have all the money in the world,
320. 28:13but even once you have it, you still be
321. 28:15alone.
322. 28:18Do you want to tell me something? But
323. 28:19this friendship makes so good.
324. 28:25So, how do you know I'm with your wife?
325. 28:42I could be your wife tomorrow, who
326. 28:43knows?
327. 28:47Is that my baby?
328. 28:48>> [laughter]
329. 29:00>> How much can I give?
330. 29:06>> [laughter]
331. 29:10>> You have a baby now. My mom is my babe.
332. 29:13I knew you'd say music or my mother. I
333. 29:15know
334. 29:17I just knew it.
335. 29:23I know I look good.
336. 29:24>> [laughter]
337. 29:24>> You feel me?
338. 29:28You feel me?
339. 29:31>> [laughter]
340. 29:37>> Toke, what kind of girls does he like?
341. 29:40If you see anything here.
342. 29:41>> [laughter]
343. 29:42>> Don't say anything.
344. 29:46He likes that type of girls on earth.
345. 29:48Oh, my G, man.
346. 30:03>> [laughter]
347. 30:07>> I've spent the last few days with
348. 30:09Ashakay, his family and his team. And
349. 30:11even though I'm very exhausted, I have a
350. 30:13sense of fulfillment. Not just because I
351. 30:15was given this privilege to document
352. 30:17Ashakay's homecoming, but also because
353. 30:19I've never [music] experienced anything
354. 30:21so
355. 30:25Ashakay is surrounded and protected
356. 30:27[music] by real love. I think that's
357. 30:29something no amount of money in the
358. 30:30world could ever replace. Being real is
359. 30:33being real is free.
360. 30:34>> [music]
361. 30:36>> He's changed so much, but he's always
362. 30:39stayed himself.
363. 30:41>> [music]
364. 30:47[music]
365. 31:08>> Does he tell you when he's about to make
366. 31:10drastic like like cut No, he doesn't
367. 31:12tell me when he's about to cut his hair.
368. 31:14He'll text me and he'll say, "Guess
369. 31:15what? Blue hair, no hair, this hair."
370. 32:02>> [music]
371. 32:12[music]
372. 32:19[music and singing]
373. 32:37[cheering]
374. 32:47>> If you had a chance to say one last
375. 32:49thing before you leave, dear Ashakay.
376. 32:52Put God first.
377. 32:58J Cole D, full stop.
378. 33:04>> [music]
379. 33:09[music]
380. 33:19[music]
381. 33:25[music]
382. 33:31[music]
383. 33:45[music]