American multinational record label, Def Jam Recordings has announced the signing of Nigerian Afropop singer and songwriter, Adekunle Gold.
In a statement to Billboard, Tunji Balogun CEO/chairman of Def Jam Recordings said; “I’ve been following Adekunle Gold since I first heard his record ‘Sade’ in 2016. 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.”
“Sade” crooner, Adekunle Gold speaking on the signing with Def Jam said; “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.”
AG Baby equally expressed his excitement at joining the international label that has been home to legends like Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, and others. The Afropop singer also expressed how happy he is about working with his Nigerian brother, Tunji Balogun. He said:
He understands it. 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.”
