IN CONVERSATION WITH ADEKUNLE GOLD

interview by JANA LETONJA

Global Afropop sensation Adekunle Gold is ushering in a bold new era with the release of his electrifying single ‘Coco Money’. A genre-defying anthem, the track fuses Afropop, Fuji percussion, lush orchestral layers, and pitched vocal textures, creating a soundscape that feels both deeply rooted and strikingly futuristic. With a confident interpolation of Rihanna’s ‘Bitch Better Have My Money’, Adekunle radiates swagger and cultural pride, delivering a vibrant celebration of success, resilience, and identity. Coinciding with the release is the launch of the Adekunle Gold Foundation and its first major initiative, 5 Star Care, a healthcare program offering free insurance to 1.000 people living with sickle cell disease in Nigeria. More than just a musical statement, ‘Coco Money’ marks the beginning of a richer, more purposeful chapter in Adekunle Gold’s journey, one that balances artistic innovation with social impact.

‘Coco Money’ marks a bold new era for you. What inspired the sonic and lyrical direction of this single?

I was in Lagos, I can’t quite remember the date. I remember it was in the night that we made the song. I was with Niphkeys, a talking drummer, and my boy Banks. We were just chilling in the living room, just catching a vibe, listening to music. And I remember speaking to Niphkeys to play me something fresh, so he played a beat, then the talking drummer started to play as well and  Niphkeys added more music to it. And everything I was hearing reminded me of my childhood and everything I'd heard growing up, like Juju, High Life, Fuji. So, it felt like I was reliving the moment of hearing all the classics that I grew up on. And those are sounds that I actually enjoyed listening to back then. It made it easy for me to find a pocket, so I started spitting “Attention, attention! If you're not spending money, go, go, go, go, go”. I knew that that was going to be a crazy party starter, and yeah, I think that was pretty much it.

You fused Afropop, Fuji percussion, and orchestral elements in this track. How did that blend come together in the studio?

I knew after the first session with Niphkeys and the talking drummer that the song wasn't going to end there. What we made was a rough sketch. Then I got in with Seyifunmi, my best friend, who's a producer. I knew I wanted more depth on the song so I asked him to get some live orchestra instruments played on it. That's how that came about. I had a vision of creating something very cinematic but still traditional because I’m always in touch with my roots. This is how I want to express myself right now, full production and detailed musicality. 

This is the first time the traditional Elegbe call-and-response has been woven into a modern Afropop track. What motivated that decision, and what does it represent to you culturally?

Growing up, I listened to genres like High Life, Juju, Akpala, and Fuji. The best part of those songs for me, obviously, aside from the lead singers, was always the ‘Elegbe’. ‘Elegbe’ means someone that responds. All Fuji bands usually have three, four, five men, or more sometimes, just responding to whatever the lead artist is singing. And that was always the best part for me. I love how raw their voices sounded back when there was no autotune, it was all clear and very emotive. Fuji artists still don’t use autotune now. High Life musicians too, and I always admired that. So, I wanted to bring all of that back into ‘Coco Money’. There’s a lot of things that I have made popular in modern Afrobeats, this is another one whether people want to acknowledge it or not. 

This was also a very different experience for me. I’m comfortable engineering my own vocals, but this time I had to engineer the elegbe’s, whichdefinitely a different experience. Their passion came across on the song, you could tell that they understood the song and embodied what I was expressing too. If you listen to the chorus, listen to some part of the song, listen to the  bridge, you can hear our emotions. That’s exactly what I wanted and I’m glad it came out  just as envisioned.

You’ve mentioned this track sets the tone for more music coming soon from you. Can you share what else fans can expect sonically or thematically from future releases? Is there a project in the pipeline ?

Right now, I’m in a very free and creative space. I’ve been reading, training in the gym a lot more than I’ve ever done all my life. My mind is sharp so I just want you to know that I'm at a point in my life where I am finding uncharted journeys inside. And to that, I'm going to say it's Big Fish 2025.

Your sound continues to evolve but stays rooted in Nigerian tradition. How do you navigate modernity and heritage in your music?

I'm a Yoruba man, a proper Yoruba man. I love my culture. I love my heritage. I love our traditions. I love our music. I'm deeply immersed and proud of who I am. I’ve been learning more about the origin of Yoruba people recententl, about our history. I really want to know what came before, understand our story, where we came from. I think it’s helping me stay even grounded, helping me realise the power that I hold. My culture is so layered and full of depth. But what I’ve been trying to figure out is how I bridge the gap between who we were and who we are now as Yoruba people.  

I’ve been asking myself how do I merge  modernity and heritage into my music? I grew up listening to Yoruba music, watching Yoruba movies, but I also discovered other genres like R&B, I listened to a lot of rock, indie bands as a teenager and more recently hip-hop. I think the music I make is a reflection of my layered experiences and the music I grew up on. My first album especially was a fusion of older genres of music and contemporary music. I've always fused everything into one. Sometimes I’m not sure how I arrive at the final sound, I just allow my creative spirit to lead. When I get in the studio or it’s time to make music, I just make what comes to me.

What does it mean to you to be part of this new global wave of Afropop artists shaping the sound of the future?

I am just really happy that in the grand scheme of things, I'm doing my own part. I am making songs that're shaping the future. Songs that I released 10 years ago are still relevant to people today. What makes me really happy is to see my personal stories impacting people’s lives, to see them learning something from my music. I'm making music on my own terms, setting my own pace, creating my own blueprint and it's impacting on someone else’s life. Nothing is more important to me than that. I know what I brought and still bring to the table. I'm grateful for all the people that paved the way before my time and I’m grateful to be a part of everything. The rise of Afrobeats is a huge honor.

You  launched the Adekunle Gold Foundation alongside your single ‘5 Star’. Why did you decide to pair a moment of personal career growth with a charitable initiative?

It took a lot to release a song like ‘5 Star’. In 2022, I got to a point in my life where the shame of coming out publicly to say you have a disease like sickle cell became irrelevant. I could no longer sit there and continue to be Adekunle Gold whilst seeing the experiences of other people who are suffering from the same condition online. 

I know a lot of people love me, a lot of people look up to me, and a lot of people draw strength from my story. It just felt like the right time to say it. And I'm glad that sickle cell warriors found strength in the song. At first, I just wanted to speak up about sickle cell, then my manager said we had to formalise it if I wanted to raise major awareness for SCD. She did all the formalities and we’re here today. I feel like it's my purpose. I feel like advocating for sickle cell disease is a part of my story. If not, I wouldn’t have been born with it. I'm glad I responded to the call. 

The 5 Star Care initiative supports people living with sickle cell, a cause close to your heart. Can you talk about your journey with sickle cell and how it shaped this mission?

I know what it means to have a sickle cell crisis. The pains are very severe. At a point, I asked God to end it all. It's not an easy experience living with sickle cell, but I always fought through the pain. And I guess that's why they call us warriors. My parents spent so much money and time in hospitals. 

When I decided to completely switch my music, image and transition after my first 2 albums, a lot of people didn’t understand. They felt like I didn’t need to change anything. I think they were afraid that I would become someone else they weren't familiar with, but to me, I was just growing. I’ve never been afraid of growth, no matter how challenging or difficult it may feel. I’ve also never been afraid of what people may say or how they may feel about me or my music. Everything I was told not to do as a child growing up with SCD, I did and I survived. So, how can anyone’s mere opinion on me or my music affect me? Sickle cell can make people feel helpless, but I hope that my story gives someone the hope that if I can do it, they can too. They can become whatever they want to be.

How did partnerships with organizations like LASHMA and SAMI come about, and what are your long-term goals for the Foundation?

Both partnerships were very organic. LASHMA is an initiative by Lagos State Ministry of Health and Gov. Sanwo Olu to subsidize health insurance and health care for those from low-income backgrounds. So, when we decided that we wanted to support those with sickle cell disease, LASHMA was one of the first partners that came in mind. The incredible work that they're doing stood out to us. And of course, we wanted to make sure that health insurance was priority for us to provide as I know first hand how much medical attention is needed by people living with SCD.

SAMI was our very first partnership, the organisation has been in existence for a long time. It's an organization that has done incredible work in catering for people with sickle cell disease, so it was only right that my foundation partnered up with them. What we do is re-route funding through them so that they can continue to provide practical help and care to those with SCD.

The long-term goals for my foundation is to really advocate for sickle cell disease on a global level. I know there's so many other diseases and issues in the world that a lot of people are paying attention to, but sickle cell disease is a disease that affects a lot of people of West African heritage, and I know that because of that it hasn't received the attention and care that it needs to receive in the world. The more globalized the world is becoming, the more people are marrying between races, cultures and countries, and the more we're going to see sickle cell disease continue to replicate. We need a lot of medical research, attention and funding being redirected to this disease. And it's something that's affecting a lot of people's lives. So long-term, I want my foundation to be able to get the world to listen and pay attention to sickle cell disease.

Looking ahead, what kind of legacy do you hope to leave, both musically and philanthropically?

At the end of it all, I just want to be able to say I’ve lived. I did it all. I made a mark. I didn't let anything stop me. I was not afraid to grow. And I just want to be able to look back, grow very old and be proud that I touched lives in many ways.

CREDITS

photography OBIDI NZERIBE

styling UGO MOZIE

creative direction ELIZABETH SOBOWALE

styling assistant JUDIE-ADAOBI MOZIE AND SAMMY PIMENTEL

makeup CHIARA GARAY

photography assistant LUIS RAMIREZ

drawings ADEJARE KOSOKO