Entertainment: Asake: I Can't Get A Real Job Because I Got A Neck Tattoo

Nigerian Afrobeats musician Ololade Ahmed, better known by his stage name Asake, is highly recognized. He has opened out about the difficulties he had before finding success in the music industry. In an interview with GQ, Asake said that getting a neck tattoo was the first step toward not being able to find a real job. 

The singer's stage name—all five of them—is prominently tattooed over his neck in a sizable design. According to the 29-year-old tattoo artist, his designs stand for tenacity. "In Nigeria, you are not allowed to work anywhere if you have a tattoo around your neck. I am unable to work for a corporation. I'm unable to sell anything.

Asake claims that he received the tattoo at a particularly dark, dismal, and unsure time in his life. "I was worn out," he says. "I had the feeling that I shouldn't keep trying." He gave himself no other choice but to get a neck tattoo in response to those doubtful sentiments. The second stage is to simply work extremely hard. 

You have to realize that even though I've been working for years, I only arrived in two years," he declares. "People are keeping track of the days you succeed. The days you've been working toward it aren't taken into account. There is no one who cares about that.