‘It’s impossible to get a job in Nigeria with tattoos’ – Asake

• Asake expresses that he couldn’t work for any company or business because of the stereotypes about tattoos in Nigeria.
• He also spoke about his sudden fame, stressing that his rise in the music industry was not an “overnight success” as it seems

Nigerian singer, Ahmed Ololade, popularly known as Asake shares his experience regarding tattoos and employment in Nigeria. According to him, having a visible tattoo on your neck can be a significant barrier to finding work in Nigeria.

Asake lamented that due to prevailing stereotypes, he faces limitations in both corporate employment and business ventures.

In his conversation with the GQ magazine, Asake highlighted the difficulties he encounters in finding suitable employment opportunities or engaging in business ventures due to the stereotypes associated with tattoos in Nigeria.

He revealed that having a tattoo on one’s neck can be particularly detrimental to their chances of securing a job. Such prejudices have limited his options and left him unable to work for any company or sell his products.

He said:

“In Nigeria, if you have a tattoo on your neck, you can’t work anywhere. I can’t work for any company. I can’t sell anything.”

During the interview, Asake also shed light on his journey to prominence in the music industry, clarifying that his success wasn’t an overnight achievement as it may appear.

Despite rising to fame within a span of two years, he emphasized the years of hard work and dedication he had put in prior.

Asake lamented the tendency of people to solely focus on one’s success and not acknowledge the countless hours spent working towards achieving it. He expressed frustration over the lack of recognition for the extensive efforts individuals put into their goals.

“You have to understand: I got there in two years, but I’ve been working for years. People are counting the days you’re successful. They don’t count the days you’ve been working towards it. Nobody gives a fvck about that,” Asake said.