Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Asake has taken a major step in his career, signing a new management deal with Double Eleven, the management and creative agency led by music executive Alexa Perkins.
The announcement, first highlighted in Billboard’s weekly signings roundup, signals a new era for the hitmaker following his split from long-time manager Stephen Nana, popularly known as Stevenator.
A Strategic Move for Global Growth
With more than 5.6 billion streams worldwide, Asake has become one of the most successful Afrobeats artists of his generation. His third studio album, Lungu Boy (2024), ranks among the top 20 most-streamed Nigerian albums of all time, while his latest project, MONEY, was released this summer under his independent imprint Giran Republic.
Under his new management, Asake is expected to expand his international footprint. Alexa Perkins, who heads Double Eleven, brings deep industry experience from her years working with major labels and distributors including Def Jam, Capitol Records, TuneCore, and EMPIRE. Her track record in artist development and global marketing is seen as a key asset in Asake’s transition from regional superstar to global brand.
Earlier this year, former manager Stephen Nana revealed that he stepped away from managing Asake because the singer’s rapid rise became overwhelming. Nana cited the constant travel demands and the toll on his family life as reasons for the split.
“Asake’s growth was so explosive that it became too much for me to balance with personal commitments,” he admitted in an interview with The Nation.
Building Independence
Despite his exit from Olamide’s YBNL Nation earlier this year, Asake has successfully built a foundation of independence. He owns his masters, runs his Giran Republic imprint, and continues to distribute his music through Empire, a partnership first established in 2022.
The new management deal complements this independence by adding professional oversight and global strategy. Already, Asake has begun making international moves, featuring recently on Gunna’s “Satisfaction” from the rapper’s The Last Wun album.