Nigerian Musician Adekunle Gold, graced the cover of the latest issue of Vibe Magazine and disclosed some really interesting things about his music, upbringing, and his rumored love interest Simi.
Read the interview below;
On how he started out as a singer years back, Gold said:
‘My father would say religion is education’ he tells me, recounting the events that paved the way for music.
‘I joined the teens choir and it was very competitive. It was a thing to just hold the mic and I would try to impress my choir mistress for a chance then but she wasn’t having it. She’d say “you’re not there yet” so I kept doing the most to impress this woman. I think I was in the church for 11 years and it never happened.’
On his kind of music:
“My genre is a fusion of Highlife and Pop and Indie. My manager says it’s Modern Highlife but I still say that it’s Urban Highlife.” Right behind us is Niyi, a young lady full of warmth and natural hair who had earlier introduced herself as his friend and manager. As accused by Adekunle, she repeats herself with a stress. “Moderrrrn highlife…”.
On several attempts at breaking into the industry:
‘I went to so many auditions and I got so many NOs to the point that I was like ‘I’m done; I’m not doing these reality shows again. Let me focus on my own reality…See that line yeah?’ he pumps his index finger, nodding and smiling at his poetic usage of the word “reality”.
On photoshopping and how he became known:
‘It started out as fun, you know. One Saturday morning, I was in my house and I saw one particular photo of Tiwa Savage. I thought, I would love to take a picture with this lady, ‘cause I really love Tiwa Savage. Then I thought, you know, I can. So I told my friend to take my picture. He thought I was crazy. And I did as if I was holding her from behind and then I did the photoshop and people really liked it. I was struggling for people to hear my music so I thought, if I can be popular for this one, I might as well. It might find its way to the people I really want to work with as a musician. I went on to do pictures with Toolz and Tontoh Dikeh and it became a sensation. They started saying King of Photoshop. So, when I released a song, they didn’t take me seriously at first. This Photoshop guy, what can he sing?’
‘I studied Art and Industrial Design at Lagos State Polytechnic and I majored in graphics’ He says, explaining how a twist of fate landed him a job as the official graphics designer for YBNL.
‘I designed the YBNL logo. It was just a business relationship and I did stuff for Olamide. Though I remember sending him something that I wrote for him, but that was some balls because Olamide writes for himself but I just thought maybe he would like this one. There was no music relationship at all. Then I released Sade on my own then he said he would like to have me on board. I took the deal, before my guy will change his mind.’
‘I designed the YBNL logo. It was just a business relationship and I did stuff for Olamide. Though I remember sending him something that I wrote for him, but that was some balls because Olamide writes for himself but I just thought maybe he would like this one. There was no music relationship at all. Then I released Sade on my own then he said he would like to have me on board. I took the deal, before my guy will change his mind.’
On his personal life:
‘Girl. My life has been about girls. Everything girl! It was 2004, I went to see a friend and she said they were having a midweek service. I said, why not? Is it not to go and get the girl? But then, I found Jesus. You get the greater God then you now get the girl. Interesting story right?’
On Orente and writing the song for rumored lover Simi:
“I thought I said this already. I wrote Orente about Simisola, it’s not even news again. But it’s for you as well “, he adds with a cheeky laugh.
