YBNL founder Olamide has reacted to claims that he and singer Asake are no longer on good terms following the singer’s move away from the YBNL roster.
In an interview with the BBC shared online on Friday ahead of his UK show, Olamide made it clear their bond remains intact despite changes in their business relationship.
“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.
Talks of a fallout intensified earlier this year after Asake officially ended his contract with YBNL and unveiled his own imprint, Giran Republic. The singer also made noticeable changes to his social media pages, which many fans interpreted as signs of a split.
Asake joined YBNL in February 2022 after years of pushing independently, and his debut single under the label, ‘Omo Ope’ featuring Olamide, became a nationwide smash that propelled him into mainstream success.
His rise reignited conversations about Olamide’s track record of grooming stars such as Adekunle Gold, Fireboy DML, Lil Kesh, and Chinko Ekun.
Speculation grew stronger this year after Asake launched Giran Republic. Around the same period, entertainment lawyer Oluyemisi Falaye revealed that Asake had concerns about his YBNL contract but signed it out of excitement.
“I advised him not to sign it,” she said, adding that Asake accused her of trying to “pour sand in my garri.” She further claimed that the singer later felt the deal worked against him, saying: “He felt so hurt… he felt cheated.”
