"Active" is a song by Nigerian singer Asake and American rapper and singer

Travis Scott Jacques Bermon Webster III (born April 30, 1991), known professionally as Travis Scott (formerly stylized as Travi$ Scott), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Scott has had five number-one hits on the U.S. ''Bil ...

. It was released on 6 August 2024 through

YBNL Nation Yahoo Boy No Laptop Nation, popularly known as YBNL Nation or simply YBNL, is an independent record label founded by Olamide in 2012. In 2020, ''Billboard Magazine'' named YBNL as one of "the Gatekeepers" of the Nigerian music industry. Histo ...

and

Empire Distribution Empire Distribution, Records and Publishing Inc. (stylized as EMPIRE) is an independent American record label, distribution and publishing company founded in 2010 by Ghazi Shami. Based in San Francisco, EMPIRE has offices in New York, London, ...

as the second and final single from Asake's third studio album, '' Lungu Boy''. The song was produced by Mike Dean and

Sarz Osabuohien Osaretin (born 17 March 1989), better known by his stage name Sarz, is a Nigerian record producer, mixing engineer and musician. Born in Benin City, Edo State, he is popularly known for the tag "Sarz on the beat" or "Really", at the b ...

, while it samples "Raise Da Roof" by Jazzman Olofin.

Composition

"Active" blends Afrobeats and trap with

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

and

fuji music Fújì is a genre of Yoruba popular music that emerged in Nigeria in the 1960s. It evolved from the improvisational wéré music also known as ajísari (meaning "waking up for sari", performed to awaken Muslims before dawn during the fasting s ...

influences. Lyrically, the song explores themes of strength and literal activity or being active, as suggested by the title and both rappers "offer up slick flows in their native languages". Featuring a recurring vocal chop

sampled Sample or samples may refer to: * Sample (graphics), an intersection of a color channel and a pixel * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of something * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample ...

from "Raise Da Roof" the 2006 crossover hit single by Jazzman Olofin and Adewale Ayuba, it highlights the ongoing theme of Asake’s commitment to integrating traditional Nigerian art forms into his music and emphasizes his adaptation of fuji music’s stylistic techniques. Travis Scott gives a notable shout-out to Ikeja, the capital of

Lagos State Lagos State (, ) is a States of Nigeria, state in South West, Nigeria. Of the 36 States of Nigeria, Nigerian states, Lagos is the second List of Nigerian states by population, most populous state but the List of Nigerian states by area, smallest ...

, stipulating "from the H to Ikeja" and adapts his typical flow to complement Asake's style.

Music video

The music video for "Active" was directed by Edgar Esteves and Josh Valle in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. In the video, Asake immerses himself in

American culture The culture of the United States encompasses various social behaviors, institutions, and Social norm, norms, including forms of Languages of the United States, speech, American literature, literature, Music of the United States, music, Visual a ...

, transitioning from

equestrianism Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding ( Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

to socializing at a

skatepark A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, Freestyle scootering, scootering, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairw ...

. He also engages with a

marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who play while marching. Historically they were used in armed forces and many marching bands remain military bands. Others are still associated with military units or emulate a military sty ...

, unleashes fury on a car with a crowbar, and visits a

strip club A strip club (also known as a strip joint, striptease bar, peeler bar, gentlemen's club, among others) is a venue where strippers provide adult entertainment, predominantly in the form of striptease and other erotic dances including lap dances. St ...

alongside, Travis Scott.

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Travis Scott songs 2024 singles 2024 songs Asake songs Travis Scott songs YBNL Nation singles Empire Distribution singles