Motolani Alake

**Motolani Olusegun Alake** is a Nigerian music executive, critic, and journalist recognized for his significant contributions to the African music industry, particularly within the Afrobeats ecosystem. His career has spanned roles from editorial leadership to executive positions in music distribution and analysis. **Early Life and Education** Motolani Olusegun Alake was born in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. He was raised in Akure, Ondo State, where he received his primary and secondary education. Alake pursued higher education at Ekiti State University, where he graduated with an LL. B. in Law. Following this, he relocated to Lagos in 2014 to attend the Nigerian Law School. **Career Progression and Achievements** Alake began his career in journalism, initially focusing on sports writing before expanding into music criticism and general content. He gained recognition as a writer for platforms like Turnt and later served as the Managing Editor for Urban Central, where he explored various niches. A pivotal point in his career was his executive and editorial leadership. He served as the Editor-In-Chief at Pulse Nigeria from March 2022 to December 2022. In 2022, the African Union recruited him to join the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) as one of its juries for the West Africa region, recognizing his expertise as a music critic and executive. **Current Status** As of 2023, Motolani Alake transitioned into a label executive role, serving as the Label and Marketing Manager and A\&R Coordinator at Virgin Music Nigeria. In addition to his executive role, he is currently the Chart Manager for Nigeria's TurnTable Top Afro-Pop Songs chart. In 2023, TurnTable listed Alake as one of the top 30 music executives in Nigeria.