Adekunle Gold | |
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Birth name | Adekunle Kosoko |
Born | Lagos State, Nigeria |
Genres |
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Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, graphic designer |
Instruments | |
Years active | 2010–present |
Labels | YBNL Nation |
Associated acts | |
Website | www |
Adekunle Kosoko, popularly known by his stage name Adekunle Gold, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and graphic designer. He describes his genre of music as urban highlife. His 2014 single "Sade" received massive airplay on various Nigerian radio stations. His follow-up single, titled "Orente", also received positive reviews from music critics and consumers. In 2015, he was nominated in the Most Promising Act of the Year category at the 2015 City People Entertainment Awards. His 2014 single "Sade" was nominated for Best Alternative Song at The Headies 2015. He is currently signed to YBNL Nation.
Adekunle was born into a royal family in Lagos State, Nigeria. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Arts and Design from Lagos State Polytechnic.
While growing up, Adekunle developed interest in music while listening to songs by King Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey. He became a member of his church's junior choir during his teenage years, and went on to write his first song at the age of 15.
In 2014, Adekunle went solo after he disbanded a music group he formed with a friend while in school. Adekunle Gold was dubbed the "King of Photoshop" after posting an edited Photoshop image of him hugging Tiwa Savage. On 19 December 2014, he released a cover of One Direction's "Story of My Life" titled "Sade", which rose to critical acclaim and went on to be nominated at the 2015 edition of The Headies.
After the release of "Sade", Adekunle released his first official single titled "Orente" through YBNL Nation after signing a music contract with the record label on March 5, 2015. He was nominated in the Most Promising Act of the Year category at the 2015 City People Entertainment Awards. On 18 July 2016, Adekunle Gold revealed the cover and track list of his debut studio album titled Gold. The album is a 16-track project, with musical production from Pheelz, Masterkraft, B Banks, Sleekamo, Oscar and Seyikeyz. It was released on 25 July, three days before the original scheduled date of release. Upon its release, it peaked at #7 on the Billboard World Album Chart for the week of 13 August 2016. Moreover, it was critically reviewed by contemporary music critics.