“I Had to Choose My Family” – Stevenator Opens Up About Stepping Down as Asake’s Manager
Stephen Nana, popularly known as Stevenator, has revealed why he ended his professional relationship with Nigerian music sensation Asake.
Speaking in a candid interview that’s now making the rounds online, Stevenator shared that his decision to leave was driven by a desire to reconnect with his family and the rapid pace of Asake’s rising fame, which made it tough to keep up.
Stevenator, who managed Asake from 2022 to 2024, admitted he was new to the world of artist management when he got the call from longtime friend and YBNL boss, Olamide.
“Olamide called me and said, ‘I have an artist I want you to manage,’” he recalled. “I had never done management before. I didn’t know Asake, hadn’t heard his music. But I took it on because of my relationship with Olamide—we’ve been friends for over two decades.”
However, things moved faster than expected. “Asake blew up almost overnight. There wasn’t even time to catch my breath, let alone learn the ropes. It was non-stop,” he said.
But the real breaking point came at home.
“I have two sons, and I barely got to spend time with them. We’d be on the road for months. I’d be on video calls every day, but it’s not the same. I brought my kids to London, and my younger son wouldn’t even let me carry him—he didn’t recognize me,” he shared emotionally.
It was then he realized something had to give. “To be the dad and husband I want to be, I had to step back. Asake got so big, it meant being everywhere with him. But now, I’m choosing family. I’m a husband. I’m a dad. And I love my wife.”
