Afropolitan
Afropolitan
Afropolitan
The Asake Myth: Why Most Artists Going Global Are Actually Going Broke
1 hour 51 minutes Posted Apr 29, 2026 at 4:00 pm.
Introduction & Patreon Announcement
The Biggest Missed Opportunity: Venues
Third Spaces & Why Nigeria Needs Them
The New Home Decor Store Creating Connection
How Mainland Block Party Actually Started
Moving Back from England and Facing Social Segregation
The First Block Party at Truffles
When the Numbers Started Growing
Moving to Berks and Solving Social Segregation
The Digital Ads Nobody Was Doing
Getting Kicked Out After 850 People Showed Up
The Saturday Night Venue Crisis
The 5-Hour Bike Ride to Find a Venue
Taking Block Party to the Island, Abuja, Ghana, NYC
Sophisticated But Inclusive: The Block Party Message
Co-Founder Relationships: Making Three Partners Work
Artist Management: The Administrative vs Creative Split
When Artists Think They've Outgrown Their Managers
Why Asake Is a Unicorn (Not the Average Case)
The Parent-Child Dynamic in Artist Management
Infrastructure Challenges for African Touring
The Data Problem in Nigerian Entertainment
Why Artists Have Priced Themselves Out
Odumodublvck's Free School Tour
K-Pop vs Hip-Hop: The Masses Strategy
How Global Artists Can Still Serve Nigeria
Brand Partnerships and Making Economics Work
Financial Advice for Artists (And Why He Stopped Giving It)
Discipline vs Creativity: What Actually Wins
The Streaming Rate Conversation Nobody Wants to Have
Psychology of Managing Chaos at Events
Profit vs Consumer Happiness
Why Block Party Stays Affordable
Making Wale Affordable: The Equity Play
Investing 60 Million in Content This December
Rapid Fire Begins
Biggest Mistake: Putting Someone Before Himself
Artist He Wished He'd Signed Earlier
Best Nigerian Food
Skills He Wished He'd Learned Earlier: Boundaries
The Niece's Birthday He Missed in Paris
Life Lesson: Go Where You're Invited
Who Should Be on This Podcast: Bankulli, Cecil Hammond, Davido, Teni
Why Davido's Story Matters
What Amapiano Artists Do Better
0:00
1:51:39
Download MP3
Show notes
Tobi Mohammed left a career in tech and engineering to build one of West Africa's most influential entertainment companies. With two master's degrees and early success closing billion-naira deals with the federal government, he could have stayed comfortable. Instead, he followed his passion into an industry with no rulebook.
Six years later, he's co-founded The Plug, sold more tickets than any festival in West Africa, managed Grammy-nominated artists like Bella Shmurda and Odumodublvck, and built Mainland Block Party into a cultural movement that spans Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ghana, and New York. He's sold 38,000 tickets in a single December. He's worked with everyone from King Promise to Wale. And he's learned every brutal lesson the Nigerian entertainment industry has to teach.
But this conversation goes far beyond events.
We unpack why venues are Africa's biggest missed opportunity, what it really costs to throw a block party in Lagos, why most promoters are quietly bleeding money while chasing clout, and what it takes to build something that actually lasts in Nigerian entertainment. We also talk about ampiano artist and Afrobeats star.
The Room is now open. 200 founding seats at $42/month — price locked permanently for everyone who joins now. We’re in the first 20. When it’s full, it’s full. Join at https://www.patreon.com/posts/welcome-to-inner-156114670
WHERE TO FIND TOBI MOHAMMED
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alhajipopping
Twitter/X: https://x.com/alhajipopping
EPISODE SPONSORS
Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com
AFROPOLITAN
Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast
Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/welcome-to-inner-156114670
TIMESTAMPS