Nigerian Afropop singer and songwriter, Adekunle Gold has signed with American multinational record label, Def Jam Recordings.
This news was announced in a statement by the company’s Chief Executive Officer/Chairman, Tunji Balogun.
“I’ve been following Adekunle Gold since I first heard his record “Sade” in 2016,” he said. “Over the years, everything in AG’s world has elevated — his songwriting has refined, the scope of his artistry has widened, his vocals have strengthened, his approach to fashion is more distinct, and his showmanship and performance ability have grown exponentially.”
“He’s stepped into stardom on his own terms and is completely comfortable being his true self.
When I started at Def Jam, I knew I wanted to bring the label into the Afrobeats space tastefully, with the right artists and partnership. Adekunle felt like the perfect fit – he’d already done so much work on his own to build a base, but I knew that we could scale his audience to an even bigger level if we combined our energies and worked together.”
“I think AG is a truly global artist, and a rightful ambassador for Nigerian music and the emerging Afrobeats scene,” Tunji Balogun continues. “He has the talent, virtuosity, focus, work ethic and temperament required to be a worldwide superstar. I’m excited to work with him and the Def Jam team to bring more fans into his world.”
Gold also expressed excitement on signing with the label, and getting to work with Balogun especially with their shared Nigerian roots.
“He understands it,” Gold said. “So signing to Tunji makes sense. He’s like my studio buddy that just comes everywhere I go. The day he doesn’t have time to be there, I know he must’ve been like stupidly busy. He’s great.
“The track record is there. The history is there. They break artists, and they have niche, unique artists like me, so I think it’s the right move for me. All of the things that I’ve done for myself already, they know already and that’s why they’re on board.”
He is set to release a new album under Def Jam in June, 2023.
Owned by Universal Music Group, Def Jam Recordings boasts of superstar alumni like Jay Z, Rihanna, and Kanye West.
