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AG BABY!: Gold Signs International Deal With Def Jam, Reveals Album Release Plans

Adekunle Kosoko, better known by his stage name Adekunle Gold(AG Baby), is a Nigerian AFrobeat star about to join the ranks of Nigerian artists making waves abroad. According to a report from Billboard on Tuesday, the “High” crooner has inked a contract with Def Jam Records, a well-known American record label.

Ag Baby!: Gold Signs International Deal With Def Jam, Reveals Album Release Plans, Yours Truly, News, March 28, 2024

Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the company, Tunji Balogun, said this in a statement. Balogun praised Kosoko for his songwriting, artistic ability, singing prowess, and stage presence in the release.
When he began working at the label in 2022, Balogun claimed he intended to introduce Def Jam into the Afrobeats sector.

Of his new signee, Balogun 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 has grown exponentially; he’s stepped into stardom on his own terms and is completely comfortable being his true self.”

In his own reply and reaction to Balogun, Gold expressed excitement about joining the label and working with him, especially given their common Nigerian ancestry. Def Jam Records, owned by Universal Music Group, has produced legendary artists like Jay Z, Rihanna, and Kanye West in the past.

Ag Baby!: Gold Signs International Deal With Def Jam, Reveals Album Release Plans, Yours Truly, News, March 28, 2024

He said, “He understands it, So signing to Tunji makes sense. He’s like my studio buddy that comes everywhere I go. I know he must’ve been stupidly busy the day he doesn’t have time to be there. He’s great. The track record is there. The history is there. They break artists, and they have a 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.”

With his breakthrough song, “Sade,” he became known as AG Baby and entered the Nigerian music industry in 2015. His debut album, “Gold,” was released in 2017, the same year he signed his first record label deal with YBNL Nation.

The father of one founded his own company, Afro Urban Records, two years after the contract ended. He released two albums: “Around 30” in 2018 and “Catch Me If You Can” in 2022. He will now release a new album through Def Jam in June of 2023.

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