Asake Drops His Second Single Of The Year ‘BADMAN GANGSTA’

Nigerian superstar Asake returns after his debut single of the year, ‘WHY LOVE’, with another single accompanied by a music video. His new single titled ‘BADMAN GANGSTA’, distributed via gamma, dropped on the 24th of July, and it features wave-making French-Congolese artiste Tiakola. 

Fused over a sax-laced beat, the genre-blending song is anchored by a nostalgic sample of Amerie’s ‘1 Thing’. With Asake manoeuvering between three languages: Pidgin English, Yoruba, and English; his Congolese colleague complements with French lyrics on the multilingual song. There’s also more where this song came from, as Asake announced earlier in July to anticipate his forthcoming album Money. This anticipated album might be a really personal project, as the singer refers to himself as Mr. Money, and his 2022 debut album was titled Mr. Money With The Vibe. 

BADMAN GANGSTA has no verses, but rather a hook that’s replayed twice on the sax-laced beat. Asake takes the lead on the song as he introspects on his life. He likens himself to Lionel Messi for playing nicely with his hustle skills. He also thanks God for life and proclaims that he wants more money and no drama. With a smooth takeover, Tiakola meets Asake halfway on the hook and completes it in French. Although Asake has French lines in a few of his past songs, this is the first time the Grammy nominee is having a full-on French verse in his song. 

‘BADMAN GANGSTA’ is a page from my real life,” Asake says. “It’s about owning your space, your struggles, your blessings, all at once. Working with Tiakola brought a whole new flavour to the track. We come from different places but speak the same language when it comes to vibe, feeling, and ambition.”

The visuals trail a vintage path with a black-and-white compilation of scenes of Asake’s daily activities, from Paris Fashion Week 2025 to creating music around the world. In the music video, he works out and flaunts a “GIRAN” tattoo on his back, which nods to his self-owned record label, Giran Republic. Also included is a short clip of Asake and fellow Nigerian musician Rema sharing a hug at Jacquemus SS26 Show during Paris Fashion Week in June 2025. Perhaps that might be a hint to expect Rema as a guest appearance on the forthcoming album Money. 

“I’ve been listening to Asake for a long time. He has the full package of the greats,” says Tiakola. “There are a lot of similarities in our musicality and in the way we create. Above our different languages and cultures, the message in our music is universal, and our chemistry natural.”