The Afrobeats star Adekunle Gold, whom the hosts of the Rotation Direct show on Amazon Music hailed as a "legend in the making," recently detailed the creative process behind his new album, Fuji, a project he describes using one powerful word: "mastery". This work serves as the "soundtrack of my childhood" growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, and represents a world Adekunle Gold built by intentionally fusing traditional West African sounds with global orchestral elements.
The essence of the Fuji sound, according to Adekunle Gold, is "high energy," "very percussive," full of drums, enjoyment, love, and occasional politics—all elements contributing to "good vibes". He likened his hometown of Lagos to a prettier, slightly less "dirty" New York, describing it as "high energy," bustling with traffic, people, and music everywhere. A typical Lagos Sunday for Adekunle Gold involved going to church, hearing music from different congregations, and returning home for the near-universal family custom of eating rice, before heading out to parties, weddings, and birthdays.
The new album is a sincere reflection on Adekunle Gold's life, incorporating stories about his grief, family, love life, and losses. The complexity of the project is evident in its fusion: he merged the already percussive and energetic traditional Fuji sound with a more global feel by adding orchestra, including violins, to make it more cinematic. He also utilized interpolation, a common technique in Fuji music, by sampling songs like Rihanna’s "Bish Money" on his track "Coco Money".
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Adekunle Gold expressed relief and gratitude that he was able to clear the sample, which was a "long" process. The final product, now streaming on Amazon Music, sounds "very amazing".
Adekunle Gold’s artistic philosophy centers on "building," which he believes is his truest talent, surpassing even his abilities as a musician or graphic artist. This confidence allows him to resist creative confinement. When fans suggest he has "abandoned" his old sound, he views this confusion as mistaking abandonment for "growing". Adekunle Gold insists that one thing remains constant across his discography: his "storytelling" and "sincerity". Although he has explored high life and Afrobeat's, he clarified that he has not ventured into Amapiano; instead, he created his own authentic sound by adapting the Amapiano tempo. He maintains that chasing trends is the "death of artists" and that sticking to a loop just for "people's validation" is not how "the greatest people are made".
Before achieving over 2.5 billion streams, a number the podcast hosts note is constantly growing, Adekunle Gold studied art and industrial design, majoring in graphics. He worked as an editor for three companies before being fired, which prompted him to pursue music full-time. His talent for songwriting was self-taught, starting by listening to great songwriters like James Blunt, Maroon 5, and Bruno Mars to learn how to "just tell my story" With his own melodies. His music is true to himself, which helps him maintain intimacy with his fans despite the massive numbers. Adekunle Gold noted that his songs always "come back" to people, often resurfacing on platforms like TikTok years after release because the sincerity of his words resonates.
Looking to the future, Adekunle Gold is embracing new artistic avenues, including taking acting classes and reading more. He is interested in playing a role in a movie franchise like James Bond. His ultimate career dream remains a collaboration with Bruno Mars, whom he hopes will pick up the phone to "make magic" happen. As for his legacy, Adekunle Gold wants to look back and say: "I did it. Everything was everything anything I thought about I did. I want to look back and say, you know what, I lived". The new album Fuji is available now, and Adekunle Gold is determined to take the integral sound of Nigerian music "global" and keep its legacy alive.
