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Narrated byBlaqbonez
16 more stories from this album
Blaqbonez, FOLA
The way FOLA and I worked on “Despacito” is almost like the way I made “Bizzy Body.” I invited him to my house. Ramoni
(credited producer) started playing chords, and he basically created the hook on the chords. He just sang the whole
thing, and Ramoni and I started working on how the beat would actually be. Then, I recorded my part, and that’s when
FOLA actually heard it. At track five, it felt like I needed to switch things up. We had come with mad energy from the
beginning, so it felt like it was time to soften the vibe a little bit, but it needed to be beautiful and still
energetic. “Despacito” was the right song to transition with. It's a hip-hop song, but it has some amapiano elements. I
feel like it was giving me a version of AKA on soulful songs that just connect in a way, and that’s what introduces
“Nati” with Olamide.
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16 more stories from this album
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Blaqbonez, Asak...
I made the first version in June (2026) in my friend’s studio in Lagos. The studio didn’t have air conditioning. It was
so hot in there that we had to take off our T-shirts while recording. Maybe that heat contributed to making it a hit
haha. I didn’t send the song to Asake until August. We were on the phone one day, talking about how crazy our collab
“Chanel” was going and we had a light bulb moment about how crazy it would be to do it again. We both felt we could
create another magic, but we wanted to make the next record bigger and take it in a different direction. “Ikebe 3000”
was going to be more of a party record, something more dancey. So I sent him the song, and he loved it. He was in LA at
the time, just after one of his shows. I woke up to him calling me and playing the verse he’d just recorded in the
studio. I was shocked. I’m thinking; he’s on tour right now! How did he finish a show yesterday and still managed to
record this verse today? The whole thing happened in less than 24 hours after I sent him the song. Just like we did with
“Chanel,” we kept “Ikebe 3000” under wraps until release. After making the song, we planned the music video and flew to
London to shoot it. Honestly, when I started making the earlier version, I’m not sure we knew just how crazy the song
would turn out to become. We were simply locked in the studio, trying to create something different when we stumbled on
the Gqom (South Africa) sound and we put our spin to it. One thing I find interesting is that “Ikebe 3000” is actually
Asake’s favourite collaboration out of all the songs we’ve made together.
Slide 1 of 14
Blaqbonez, Asak...
I made the first version in June (2026) in my friend’s studio in Lagos. The studio didn’t have air conditioning. It was
so hot in there that we had to take off our T-shirts while recording. Maybe that heat contributed to making it a hit
haha. I didn’t send the song to Asake until August. We were on the phone one day, talking about how crazy our collab
“Chanel” was going and we had a light bulb moment about how crazy it would be to do it again. We both felt we could
create another magic, but we wanted to make the next record bigger and take it in a different direction. “Ikebe 3000”
was going to be more of a party record, something more dancey. So I sent him the song, and he loved it. He was in LA at
the time, just after one of his shows. I woke up to him calling me and playing the verse he’d just recorded in the
studio. I was shocked. I’m thinking; he’s on tour right now! How did he finish a show yesterday and still managed to
record this verse today? The whole thing happened in less than 24 hours after I sent him the song. Just like we did with
“Chanel,” we kept “Ikebe 3000” under wraps until release. After making the song, we planned the music video and flew to
London to shoot it. Honestly, when I started making the earlier version, I’m not sure we knew just how crazy the song
would turn out to become. We were simply locked in the studio, trying to create something different when we stumbled on
the Gqom (South Africa) sound and we put our spin to it. One thing I find interesting is that “Ikebe 3000” is actually
Asake’s favourite collaboration out of all the songs we’ve made together.
Slide 1 of 14
Blaqbonez, Asak...
This was one of my easiest studio sessions ever. I really didn't think I'd made anything spectacular because I make
songs almost everyday. I made it in February 2026 in Lagos. Most of the songs on my new album (NOMADINHO: 4TH PRIME) are
fresh records made this year. So in April, I travelled to London for a show. After the show, instead of doing the usual
after-party at a club, I decided to do something different. One of my cousins, who works at a bar, offered to open it
just for me and my people. I took about 20 people from the show to the underground bar called Doña in Dalston. It was
just us, with no pressure. I started playing unreleased music through the AUX and having a good time. Everybody seemed
to love “Chanel.” People kept asking me to play it again. The next day, I made a video of myself vibing to the song and
posted it online, inspired by the energy from the party. As soon as I posted it, the video went crazy. That was when I
realised the record might be huge. Fans started suggesting different artists who should be on the song. But in my mind,
I knew it was big boy music and the ultimate big boy for that sound was Mr. Money, Asake. Of course, he has been my guy
for a long time. We'd been talking about collaborating, and I was just waiting for the right song to send him. So I sent
it to him through his DMs. Thankfully, I made that decision. A few days later, we were both back in Nigeria, set up a
studio session, and recorded together. After that, we flew to London, shot the music video, and the rest is history!
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