Ibra Ake is a Nigerian-American artist. He has worked as a director, screenwriter, producer, photographer, and creative director. He is best known for his work as a writer on the FX show, Atlanta , and director on Beyonce's visual album, Black is King . In 2019, he won a Grammy as a producer on Childish Gambino's music video, "This Is America".
Ibra Ake started off as a portrait and fashion photographer, shooting for various Condé Nast publications, beauty brands, and music acts. [1] [2]
Through photography Ake met Donald Glover at a time when Glover was still a rising musician under the name Childish Gambino. [3] After becoming friends, they started to share ideas and Ake became Glover's creative director. [3] This collaboration led to countless other projects with Glover, as well as with the other members of the collective, Royalty - their creative group that was formed in 2012. [3] Ake has served as creative director for almost all of Childish Gambino's albums and tours. [4] [5]
Ake has written numerous episodes for the first three seasons of the Emmy Award–winning series Atlanta . [6] He also directed an episode from season three, "White Fashion," and has also guided the show's marketing outreach. [4] [7]
Ake was a producer on the short visual film, Guava Island that was shot in Cuba by Hiro Murai and starred Donald Glover, Rihanna, and Leticia Wright. [8] [9]
In 2020, he directed and consulted on Beyonce's visual album, Black is King, specifically the videos for "Brown Skin Girl", "Water," and "Keys to the Kingdom." [10] [11] [12]
Ake wrote and directed an episode of the TV series, Swarm .
Notable creative direction projects include: Tiwa Savage's 49-99; [13] Spotify's RapCaviar Pantheon; [14] Adidas, Donald Glover Presents; [15] Pause with Sam Jay ; [16] Saturday Night Live ; and Pharos. [17]
At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019, Ibra Ake won a Grammy for Best Music Video, as a producer for Childish Gambino's viral and acclaimed music video for "This is America". [18] [19]
Ibra Ake is the son of Claude Ake, a renowned Nigerian political scientist. [20]