Asake is cocky and understandably so; over the last year and a half, no one else — arguably only the Grammy and Oscar nominated Tems — on the scene has earned the right to be pompous quite like he has. From the onset, he looked liked he’d carefully laid siege on the industry, existing on the fringes, learning, plotting, so that when he pounced, he moved like a seasoned veteran who could put no foot wrong. Many thought the initial novelty — his infectious alchemy of Fuji music and Amapiano — was going to wear off in no time, that was he was going to operate within the status quo, like the many others that have come before him. But he didn’t; he instead moved with a lusty assuredness, releasing music at an almost unprecedented rate, especially for someone of his status, and like paper planes, they all soared, propelling him to great heights in no time.  

This is why his latest single “2:30”, produced by the in-demand Blaisebeatz, doesn’t come as a surprise. It’s incredibly braggadocious, both in his approach and it’s delivery. With “Yoga”, his first single of the year, he seemed to opt for peace, serenity, even though there was a clear acknowledgment of his detractors. But on “2:30” he wants all the smoke, singing his own praises and simultaneously firing shots at anyone who dares to stand in the frame of his shot. He sings “Abinibi y’ato s’ability / Eso fun won toba teri si, wan ma pa lori”  (which roughly translates to “innate talent supersedes ability / Tell them whoever dares step to me will be scalped”) with a fierce delivery, further imposing himself on an industry he’s already taken by storm. 

His rapid fire delivery is what truly stands out here. Admittedly, he’d been armed with an impressive flow from the moment he broke into the mainstream; stretching his vowels and smoothly bending his words — which are usually a cocktail of Yoruba adages, slangs and jargon — over pounding log drums and insistent shakers. Here, he shows off the range of his flow even more, delivering an impressive second verse that many will struggle to keep up with. But that’s been his career in a nutshell: the industry and even the fans continually marvel, trying to keep up with this dread head enigma who continues to unravel before our eyes.