BlaqBonez Discusses The Collaboration Process For ‘Chanel’ And ‘Ikebe 3000’ With Asake

Nigerian rapper BlaqBonez has shared the backgrounds of his successful collaborations with Asake, highlighting how “Chanel” gained popularity after a memorable night out in London and how “Ikebe 3000” was finished in under 24 hours.

In an interview with Memories FM, a platform that documents artists’ stories behind their music, BlaqBonez explained how both tracks were created under different circumstances before achieving commercial success.

“Chanel” was initially recorded in Lagos in February 2026, but BlaqBonez did not see its potential at the time; he makes music regularly and did not find this particular track noteworthy initially. In April, while in London for a performance, he chose to host a gathering at Doña, an underground bar in Dalston, rather than attending a traditional nightclub after-party. There, he played some of his unreleased tracks, and “Chanel” quickly garnered attention, with attendees requesting to hear it repeatedly. This reaction prompted him to record himself enjoying the song and share it online, which attracted significant interest. He later sent the track to Asake via Instagram. Although they had previously discussed collaborating, BlaqBonez had been waiting for the right opportunity. They eventually recorded the partnership in Nigeria before going to London for the music video. “Chanel” reached No. 1 on the Apple Music Nigeria Top Songs Chart and accumulated over 25.7 million streams on Spotify.

The creation of “Ikebe 3000” began in June 2026, when BlaqBonez recorded a version at a friend’s studio in Lagos. The studio lacked air conditioning, leading to an uncomfortable environment where everyone had to remove their shirts to work on the song. In August, after discussing the success of “Chanel” over the phone, BlaqBonez sent the track to Asake, who was in Los Angeles at the time. Asake played back the verse he recorded in a phone call to BlaqBonez, and they managed to complete the track in less than a day. They also incorporated South African Gqom influences while working on it, unaware of its future success. Upon release, “Ikebe 3000” topped the Spotify Nigeria Songs Chart and Apple Music Nigeria Songs Chart, and debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart. Like with “Chanel,” the two collaborators kept this record private until its official release and later traveled to London to film its music video. BlaqBonez mentioned that “Ikebe 3000” is particularly special for Asake, who considers it his favorite track among their collaborations. Both songs have emerged as significant highlights in BlaqBonez’s recent musical endeavors.