We all grew up with the taste of Knorr in Sunday stew, jollof rice, and the meals that bring everyone to the table. It’s the flavour that feels like home, and it’s been part of our lives for as long as we can remember.
On October 10th, 2025, Knorr brought that same spirit to life with Adekunle Gold and Victor Ehikhamenor at “Fuji Reignited”, a night that paid homage to Nigerian culture through food, music, and art at The Sphere in Lagos.
To celebrate Adekunle Gold’s new album Fuji, Knorr served meals inspired by his music and the culture that shaped it.
It was the perfect setup for what came next when Adekunle Gold took to the stage, performing songs from the new album, including Don Corleone, Coco Money, and Many Many People. He also took fans down memory lane with favourites like Ogaranya and Pick Up, filling the space with warmth, nostalgia, and joy. His performance captured the true spirit of the night, a celebration of sound, flavour, and culture.
Speaking on the collaboration, Damilola Dania, Food Demand Creation Lead, Unilever Nigeria Plc, said, “Knorr has always been part of our everyday lives, from our kitchens to our celebrations. This collaboration with Adekunle Gold and Victor Ehikhamenor was about celebrating the things that make us who we are: our food, our art, our music, and our culture.”
For Adekunle Gold, Fuji is a love letter to his roots. “Fuji is one of the Nigerian sounds I grew up on and fell in love with,” he shared. “Working with Knorr made this moment even more special because it feels personal. Growing up, I was always sent to buy Knorr Chicken cubes, and that memory stuck with me. So, when I say, “O dun bi Knorr chicken” in Don Corleone, it comes from a real place. This collaboration feels like coming full circle.”
Victor Ehikhamenor added his artistic touch to the celebration, creating a special artwork inspired by Adekunle Gold’s Fuji album and Knorr’s deep Nigerian heritage. Unveiled in an intimate gallery space, the piece reminds everyone that our culture lives on through sound, art, and the meals we share every day.Fuji Reignited was more than a night of food, music and art; it was a reminder that Knorr has always been part of Nigeria’s story and will continue to be part of its future. Because Knorr is not just in our food; it’s in our homes, our stories, and our culture.
Two years after Tequila Ever After, Adekunle Gold returns with his sixth album. Titled FUJI, it is his first release in full embrace of Fuji, a genre of Yoruba music birthed in the late 1960s, which he reveals is what he’s “meant to do.” It’s the first album he’s drawing attention to his royal heritage of the Kosoko kingdom.
He digs into his family history. In homage to his forebearers, he returns to the palace and bows to pay respect to his king, the custodian of his ancestry. The throne accepts him like a true prince. Drummers with quick hands and tongues for chants and eulogy put him in a groove with their rhythms. All these are documented as part of the album rollout.
Two minutes and twenty-four seconds short of a forty-minute listening time, this 15-track-long album opens impressively. It begins with a sample from Sakara musician Lefty Salami’s Oloye Eko album, which honours King Kosoko from the 1950s. The sample rings out: “Omo Oba ki jagun bi eru…T’Oba Oluwa lase”—meaning “a prince doesn’t fight wars like slaves…the will of God, the Supreme King, is final.” Then it fades into Adekunle Gold switching flows and singing of his transition from nothing to great. A peasant-prince now wines and dines with elites. A small fry now disturbs the deep blue sea. Hence, his new sobriquet “Big Fish” is also the title of the opening track.
He has wanted these moments all his life: magazine covers draped in gold, front row seats at international fashion shows. Although his politics have never been a public discourse, it tickles the ears to hear him sing specifically that he has never collected “Bourdillion (Tinubu’s) money.” He made his bones without a handout from any politician. His success did that for him. In realisation of that, and that success attracts success and so does influence, he emphatically rebukes, “I don’t wanna go, I don’t wanna go / I don’t wanna go back to poverty.” It’s money in Adekunle’s line of sight. And there’s no better way to keep cash flow than to innovate or creatively captivate what’s currently popular.
Fuji has always influenced contemporary Nigerian music, dating back to LKT, and has had a particularly significant impact in the last four years. It’s the tail of 2025, and Adekunle Gold joins a growing roster of artists hybridising the culture and sound. Though his songwriting and sound gestures to a fusion of Afropop, Tungba, R&B and Amapiano, not Fuji in a purist’s approach or the neo-Fuji that’s common with the likes of LKT, Dekunle Fuji, Small Doctor, Olamide, Reminisce, Asake and Seyi Vibez. The look he presents, as seen on his curtain-call album art, is urban and gives no specific nod to Fuji. But a man can style himself as he likes, though on a closer look, it’s a vestige of his Mexican misadventure.
“Don Corleone” is the second track, featuring shimming and repetitive ad-libs, as well as backup vocals from his wife, Simi. Like every non-Sicilian artist who has referenced Don Vito Corleone to project their strict and ruthless-when-necessary side in their music, Adekunle Gold likens himself to Mario Puzo’s classic The Godfather character. But don’t fret — AG Baby, as fondly called, still wants you to dance…though only if you’re a spender.
With a tweak that encourages diligence and patience, “Bobo” continues his narrative that you’re noticed only if you’re rich, with features that carry emo-pop and street-pop sensibilities from Lojay and Shoday. “Coco Money” follows and plainly advises to stay out of his sight if money isn’t involved.
Now, love is in the air. “Believe”, the track that follows, is a serenade of a promising love, much like Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr.’s “Just The Two of Us” (1980) — the song it samples. Here, he’s a young lover trying to keep his love youthful. Next, on “My Love Is The Same,” themes of family and sacrifice roll into a moment of fatherhood with his daughter, Adejare. He apologises for not being around to spend time together as much as he’d have loved to.
The music switches back to prospective love in the 6lack-featured “Love Is An Action”, a title that reiterates the message of the sampled song, “What You Won’t Do For Love” (1978) by Bobby Caldwell.
With the dots of American samples and Hollywood references on the album, followed by “Many People”, a Tungba-pop track that directly borrows from veteran Tungba-Gospel artist Yinka Ayefele’s song of the same title, the Fuji is yet to kick in. “Attack” with TkayMaidza, Cruel Santino, Mavo, the new generation lamba maestro, launches straight to a neon-light party where girls bring their friends to mingle. If anything, this song gives the youngsters more visibility than it reinvents Adekunle Gold.
“Only God Can Save Me”, featuring Davido, finds rhythm in Amapiano and throws the two married singers into a confession and temptation with infidelity.
Ten tracks in, it’s clear that the signalled Fuji is largely missing from the album’s sound, neither in the sample nor in the choice of featured artists. Instead, it vaguely hangs in his voice, tickling mostly the delivery of his choruses.
Adekunle Gold says the album’s title carries a deeper meaning. “Fuji is bigger than music. It is Lagos, it’s street royalty, it’s our story, our hustle, our heritage turned global.” All these are valid, except for limiting Fuji to Lagos, but his album is nothing like the music and culture. It only pays tribute to the genre in name, not in approach, style, or sonic appeal. Presenting a certain thing and offering something entirely different is a spineless appropriation.
This creates a fascinating cultural conundrum, especially now that African music genres move so fluidly around the world. If the name Fuji is used willfully, without an accurate context, won’t that enable listeners outside the culture to incorrectly assume the music is something else, rather than the existing, better-known Fuji genre?
Siriku “Barrister” Ayinde, the progenitor of Fuji music, blended Were, Sakara, Juju, Apala, Aro, Gudugudu and possibly Highlife to create the sound. If this is the route Adekunle Gold is taking with Pop, R&B, Tungba and Amapiano, perhaps he should call it something different.
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Anyway, the Afropop grooves on, but the eleventh track, “Lailo”, isn’t spectacular. It’s a reiteration of every saccharine lyric about love that you’ve heard from Adekunle since his magnum opus Afropop Vol. 1. On the soul-stirring “Simile”, which he wrote in 2019 after his father’s demise, he searches for an anchor to rest on, unwilling to be swept away by life’s fleeting tides. On this track, he brings back his band, 79th Element, and grabs assistance from Soweto Gospel Choir.
In less than six minutes before he takes the final bow and drops the curtain on the album, “I’m Not Done”, with American pianist Robert Glasper touches on tenacity and longevity. “Obimo” ends the album. You can call it a bonus track.
FUJI has been lauded by many as his best since Afropop Vol. 1, if not the top contender. But here’s an irony worth considering, as writer Ojo O observed in a recent Substack discussion: nothing on this Fuji-themed album is a strong option if brought next to Dammy Krane’s “Faleela”, or Seyi Vibez’s “Fuji Interlude”, or Falz’s “No Less.” Adekunle Gold did not refine the Juju-Tungba sound that came to him instinctively before grafting to a global sound. The result is a loss of musical grounding. He no longer has a centre to perform from with conviction, and his global experiments haven’t been as creatively rewarding as he often claims.
Afropop Vol. 1 is a critical success because he took time to bring the listeners into his pop world-building. Ten singles in, and the audience was aware he was making a switch from the folksy sound.
Post-Afropop, he began moving very fast, and the audience began to take the backseat. Adekunle Gold doesn’t give listeners enough time to love what he’s become before he splits himself into another thing.
But maybe winning takes care of everything.
Don’t get me wrong: six studio albums into a decade-long mainstream career is a serious discipline that deserves applause and more. And there’s no doubt that this is an enjoyable project that outranks many so far this year, in terms of quality and its flamboyant rollout. But FUJI, just like his last two albums, forces the audience to accept a new idea without proper preparation, and lacks the authenticity that allows them to bond with the artist and the body of work.
However, this is the new Adekunle. He’s not a Fuji artist, just a man, or a prince if you’d like, who has loved Fuji since juvenile — and is interpreting it the best way he can.
Score: 6.5
Editor’s note (October 10, 2025): Editor’s note: A previous version of this story included phrasing similar to a Substack comment by Ojo O. The piece has been updated to include proper credit. We remain committed to maintaining accurate attributions in our documentation.
After making a statement with his 2022 Catch Me If You Can album which proves he carries the soul of a runner that understands the journey is a marathon, Adekunle Gold diversifies his CV and goes into the “tequila business”. Since he had his first shot of tequila last year, AG has been on a new level, collaborating with music legends like Pharrell Williams, Niles Rodgers and experimenting musically outside of his comfort zone, working to give his audience something fresh and thrilling.
AG realises to run to a non-stop party, he has to make sure the booze keeps flowing.
So he called on Marlian Records’ life of the party, Zinoleesky, for a feature in March, 2023. As a savvy businessman, he rolled out his new product, Tio Tequila, a three-song pack single in May, 2023.
As Tio Tequila received positive nods and worldwide acceptance, AG Baby followed up with Ogaranya in July, while planning to throw the biggest (tequila) party of the year themed Tequila Ever After, in the same month.
At 12 a.m. on July 28, 2023, the T.E.A party began. On the first track, Chasing Peace of Mind, he gives us a scoop on his personal life; he’s now in therapy, and he also smokes, though he already gave us this gist on the 2021 Davido-assisted High.
Chasing Peace of Mind also features Malian singer Habib Koité and South African artist Ami Faku. No surprises that the production blends Mali’s desert blues and S.A’s amapiano with our highlife.
Tio Tequila is a fun businessman, which explains why track two is Party No Dey Stop. Also, if you’re observant, you can already tell this record is the theme song of the album. On the next song, Soro, produced by Kel-P, the message is simple; he wants communication and intimacy. The fourth song is Tio Baby, a confession to his lover, with a little bit of flex about his life in the limelight. Call me corny if you like, but I caught the subtle compliment to his wife in the second verse opener: “When they see me (Simi), everybody wants a picture.”
Ogaranya plays next, and he talks about the sweet feeling of happiness, wealth and being on a better level.
On the sixth song Adekunle Gold tells us he’s the Wrong Person to mess with. It’s a catchy one, cemented with an aggressive verse from OdumoduBlvck, who’s been called out for his anti-women stance.
The seventh track shares the same energy. Don’t Be A Baby from AG Baby? AG remarks that while he drives a Benz, wears dangling earrings and is fresh, he isn’t a yahoo boy or a gigolo; stop complaining about him and face your own grind.
Do You Mind is the eighth track and switches the “I no dey look Uche face” energy. He’s back to focusing on his babe and her body. Tio Tequila, still not getting enough of his babe, continues on Sisi Ganja to give her all the lovey-dovey lambas. I suspect this song is a double entendre for AG reminding us that he does 420 now.
Next is the Coco Jones-assisted record Make It Easy — a sensual afropop jam. If you’re wondering why this married man said, “I no wan love, I am focused,” he’s speaking for those on the streets and tired of the talking stage. Maintaining the same soundscape, the eleventh track Not My Problem builds on the previous track. It’s not his problem if you catch feelings. He warned you, didn’t he?
The next track, Kere, segues to afro-highlife. He brags that his peers imitate his style, and he has been hot since his 2015 breakout hit, Sade. Is AG Baby your mate?
Last time he was on wax with his wife and singer Simi, was on her 2022 album titled TBH (To Be Honest). Hearing them together again on Look What You Made Me Do feels like the best duet since Tunde and Wunmi Obe.
Omo Eko plays next to keep the tequila party going. American singer, Khalid, joins Adekunle Gold on Come Back To Me, a song that begs a lover to return. The sixteenth song on T.E.A. is Falling Up, one that fuses electronic music with pop. Aside from the flex that AG is trying on a different genre, the song features Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers. Second to the last track is To My Own, where Tio Baby and an uncredited artist are laid-back, and according to them, dancing to the beat of their own drums. Tequila Ever After album ends with its eighteenth track All My Life — a romantic song directed at his lover.
Final thoughts
In almost fifty-one minutes, Adekunle Gold takes us on a fun, party-rocking experience. Tequila Ever After is a continued deviation from his earlier indie and highlife sounds. It’s a feel-good album that experiments with afrobeats and EDM, with a sprinkle of amapiano and solid songwriting skills.
In his current life chapter, Adekunle Gold a.k.a Tio Tequila enjoys himself to the max as he reaches new heights of superstardom.
Watch AG on Zikoko’s POP.
Adekunle Gold has been on an incredible musical run this 2023. Just six months into the year, he has three hot tracks (Party No Dey Stop, Omo Eko and Do You Mind) that came in a 3-song pack called Tio Tequila — his latest alter ego.
From Adekunle Gold to AG Baby, we’ve witnessed different phases of his musicianship. Right now, it’s the tequila phase and he wants everyone to be part of it. We know the party isn’t stopping, and much more about his coming album. Drink walk with me.
What’s T.E.A?
Before you start wondering if AG has started selling beverages or herbal tea, it’s an acronym for: Tequila Ever After — the title of his upcoming album. He decided the title for his album after he drank some tequila for the first time and recorded a hit in the studio thereafter.
I am exactly who I think I am. It has taken me time to get here but now that I am here, there’s no looking back. I have unlocked a different level and potential. I am finally celebrating my growth, my wins. I’m living life to the fullest and enjoying my success. I invite you to… pic.twitter.com/VKU14P4wri
Like he has been saying in his tweets and from the sounds of the snippets, Tio Tequila is bringing all the drinks and jams to the yard this summer. Summer body or not, I’m ready to throw down some jiggy moves to the new album.
14 tracks
His first and second albums have 16 tracks. On his third album, Catch Me If You Can, he switched to 14 tracks. His forthcoming fifth album, Tequila Ever After also has 14 songs on it. A consistent king. More songs to rock concerts, right?
There’s no release date for Tequila Ever After yet, despite reminding us everyday on socials, his newsletter and through snippets. This is just like a fowl looking at bottled corn, the closest it’ll get to tasting it is staring at it. Adekunle Gold has been busy appearing at fashion shows. Can this guy put the album out already?
There’s no tracklist either
Since he’s sure it’s 14 tracks, what’s the delay? Are album cover artists scarce? Or he’s stalling the release because he truly wants to handle his album art himself?
I guess I'm forever going to design my own album covers.
He was signed for two years to Olamide’s YBNL record label, I wonder how AG and Baddo didn’t make a song together. I hope AG will surprise us on the new album.
A Timbaland production on “TEA”?
Sometime in April, 2023, popular American music producer, Timbaland, was jamming to Adekunle Gold’s Something Different and saying they have to work together.
Fast-forward to June, 2023, Tio Tequila is previewing Tequila Ever After for Timbaland. We can feel just how crazy the album is from Timbaland’s reactions to the music.
There’s no better name for the promotional tour of his new album than TEA Party. He’s touring the UK and North America later in the year. While we wait for the album and when it finally drops, drink tequila ever after or responsibly. You can still jam AG’s album without fucking up your livers. Cheers.
Sometimes, you hear two artistes are working together, and it makes a lot of sense — Wande Coal and Olamide, Wizkid and Burna Boy, The Cavemen and Asa or Flavour and Phyno. Other times, your first reaction to a collaboration is, “WTF?”
This is a list of the collaborations that started out as “WTF?” but after listening, changed to “Yasss.”
Showmetheway — Cruel Santino and Poco Lee
A collaboration between alté king, Cruel Santino, and hype man, Poco Lee, wasn’t on my bingo card for 2023, but here we are today. Even though Showmetheway has been a popular sound on TikTok since 2022, listening to the full version with its unexpected feature is a whole other experience. Poco Lee’s appearance is a blink-and-you-’ll-miss-it moment, but it further amplifies the synthy-owambe fuji music vibe of the song.
Stand Strong — Davido and The Sunday Service Choir
It’s easy to imagine Kanye West’s Sunday Service Choir providing backup to some inspirational song by Cobhams, Asa or Darey Art Alade that’ll get you teary-eyed. But a song with David Adeleke, Nigeria’s very own Shakespeare? No one saw that coming.
Surprisingly, Stand Strong stands out, pun very much intended here, as one of Davido’s best songs to date. Over ten years into his career, the song is a testament to Davido’s growth from Back When to international choirmaster.
All I Ever Wanted — Asa and Amaarae
2022 came with many surprises, but listening to Asa and Amaarae vibe on lyrics about hotel sex, eating coochie and five-star diamond dick was lowkey one of the year’s biggest surprises. Having the artiste who made alté music way before it was called alté on a track with one of the sound’s new leading voices was the gift we didn’t know we needed until we got it.
Every time Burna Boy collaborated with white people
From rock bands like The Fallout Boys (Sunshine Riptide) and Coldplay (Monsters You Made) to British icons Lily Allen (Heaven’s Gate), Sam Smith (My Oasis) and Ed Sheeran (For My Hand), Burna Boy has built a reputation for the most unhinged international collaborations.
If you think an artiste’s sound won’t work well with Burna’s, that’s the artiste he’ll carry on his head. The best part is his coloniser collabs always slap.
Coming — Naira Marley and Busiswa
Naira Marley and Busiswa’s Coming is everyone’s guilty pleasure. Granted, we can’t play it in our Nigerian homes (or you’ll have to explain doggy style to your parents).
Still, it’s two artistes who lead two very different movements. Naira Marley rules street pop, and Busiswa is the South African queen of house music. Now, we just need someone to erase this Tiny Desk version from the internet and our minds:
What if 2Pac and Biggie Smalls squashed their beef and released a song together after years of dragging each other like small gen? That’s what Vector and M.I did when they hooked up with Pheelz for the song, Crown of Clay.
This 2021 collaboration was so unexpected because I can’t imagine working with someone who called me Judas, The Rat. M.I is a much better person than most because the beef would’ve turned to shaki by now. Nice song, though.
P-Square and Rick Ross’ Beautiful Onyinye remix is hands down one of the most random international collaborations ever. Then again, the song came out when Nigerians were willing to take any international collaborations that came their way. Remember Wizkid’s remix of Don’t Dull with Akon? P-Square threw in a random rapper on an audience fave, and now, we can’t listen to the original because the remix is somehow better.
Sweet in the Middle — Wurld, Zlatan and Naira Marley
Only Davido could think of adding Wurld on a Zlatan and Naira Marley feature. After dropping R&B and alté-inspired songs like Show You Off and Contagious, Wurld laying vocals alongside two of the biggest names in street pop sounded weird, but Sweet in the Middle became a major bop. Each featured act killed their parts, with Davido’s adlibs tying it together.
Although the remix doesn’t even come close to the magic Rema captured on its original, it’s hard not to like it — especially after hearing it 100 times a day thanks to the radio, TV and social media.
While an Adekunle and Wizkid collaboration might’ve sounded very on-brand, something about collaborating with Davido felt off. But that’s exactly what Adekunle needed to complete his transition. High was so good it ended up on our 2021 list of best Amapiano songs.
At the end of the quiz you’ll find out if AG Baby is still your baby:
Since popping up on our radar with the One Direction-inspired Sade, Adekunle Gold (AG, if you’re cool with him like we are) has grown and evolved into one of the biggest Nigerian music stars, maintaining an insane level of consistency, year after year. But it’s not just his music that has changed. AG also switched up from the cutesy “I want to take you for a walk” lover boy to “Let me put you in 70 positions in one minute” zaddy and we’re here for his style glow up as well. With a sick discography to his name, compiling a list of his best songs was hard AF. But you know what? We did it.
10. Beautiful Night (2016)
We know weddings are expensive AF, but something about this song makes us want to throw a big wedding just so we can dance to, “It’s a beautiful night. Let’s stay up all night, baby. Tomorrow can wait,” while our friends, families and enemies look on with love (and jealousy, of course). An underrated jam on AG’s first album, it reminds us of Sunny Nneji’s Oruka. Valentine is coming, who wants to get married abeg? No money o, just AG baby’s voice and vibes.
9. Jore featuring Kizz Daniel (2020)
AG dropped this banger with Kizz Daniel leading up to the release of his third album, Afropop Vol. 1. Even though Jore eventually got drowned out by his album that year, this song featuring two of our favourite Yoruba loverboys will always have a special place in our hearts.
8. Pick Up (2015)
Remember when AG used to sing about looking for funds and how Otedola has only one head? Yes, we do too. This was a major hustler’s anthem back in the day. Even though AG has moved on to bigger and better things, some of us still sing this every day because, omo, times are hard mehn. Excuse us while we load small credit and dial heaven again.
7. Something Different (2020)
While AG had been teasing an imminent dive into more afropop-oriented songs on his album About 30, this single confirmed the switch. Like we said before, very few artists can evolve genres without missing a beat and Something Different showed us that Adekunle Gold had what it takes. This song is pure flames and we still can’t shake it off nearly two years later.
6.Damn Delilah (2018)
It’s not every time “love and harmony”, sometimes, you just have to choose violence. Using Delilah from the bible as his lyrical target, AG drags a love that broke his heart to pieces. Pele, boo. The ironic thing is at the time, our guy didn’t even have hair like that, so him being Samson was just off. We still like the song though.
5. No Forget featuring Simi (2017)
Did you think we were going to forget to add this song? Come on! Before they became one of our favourite social media couples (You people should do and open this marriage, abeg), AG and Simi recorded their first duet together for his debut album, Gold. We’re glad they didn’t forget each other sha because this song wouldn’t have aged well.
4. Ire (2018)
Loverboy AG baby is fire but you see spiritual AG? Mehn, that AG is on another level. Ire reminds us of the chaotic beauty that is Sunday mornings. From waking to your mum ransacking the kitchen and complaining by 6 a.m. to dads starting the car and threatening to leave everyone behind, those days were special. This song was the perfect album opener for About 30 and a major moment of growth that showcased our fave’s vocals and penmanship.
3. It Is What It Is (2021)
Who can forget the time AG reminded us that some people are actually worse than a virus that stopped the world in its tracks? This is AG’s middle finger song and from the very first line, he lets you know he’s not in the mood for any rubbish. This song introduced us to a bolder, edgier AG — an artist willing to take risks not only in his music, but in his life as well. We stan a no-nonsense king.
2. High featuring Davido (2021)
While this collaboration may not immediately strike you as a good move on paper, we haven’t been able to get one day off from this song since it dropped. A perfect blend of amapiano and Afropop, they both ate and left no crumbs behind. We daresay this may be AG’s best collaboration to date.
1. Okay (2020)
You see this song? We’re convinced AG put crack in it because what? Another no-nonsense jam, AG reminded us that he’s not anybody’s mate. The best part was this song dropped right when we needed it as we were all super confused as a result of the 2020 pandemic. When he said, “Okay, okay. We go dey okay”, we felt it in our bones and we’re still feeling it now because after all is said and done, we go dey okay last last.
What does it mean to be a man? Surely, it’s not one thing. It’s a series of little moments that add up. Man Like is a weekly Zikoko series documenting these moments to see how it adds up. It’s a series for men by men, talking about men’s issues. We try to understand what it means to “be a man” from the perspective of the subject of the week.
2021 has officially wrapped and we’re now in a brand new year. Just like with everyone else, a new year sparks a new beginning for the Man Like team and Zikoko general. We‘re excited to explore new subjects, shed light on uncomfortable issues and most importantly, start poignant conversations through the stories we’ll tell this year. But before we dive right in, let’s take one final look at the past with the stories you enjoyed reading and sharing in 2021.
It’s hard not to draw inspiration from Dare’s story, especially now when we’re all making new year resolutions and making plans for the future. Not only did this Man Like subject deviate from the career path his family mapped out for him, but he did this knowing he still had to cater to two young children who depended on him. Did this risk pay off? Well, you’ll have to find out here.
From moving out of his parent’s house at 25 to becoming a pandemic daddy, Adekunle Gold gave us full access to his evolution into AG Baby. In this episode of Man Like, our fave also talks about the new and experimental AG Baby fashion and why being a man in Nigeria is not beans at all. Read AG’s Man Like interview here
When you think “Chief priest”, you immediately imagine an older, grey-haired man in traditional garb offering advice to a king or something (blame Nollywood). However, in this episode of Man Like, we are introduced to Osunniyi, a 30-year old Ifá priest who became an Oluwo (Chief priest) at just 23. Read his insightful story here.
Denola Grey? Anxiety? Those are two things we didn’t expect in the same sentence, especially when you consider his almost larger-than-life social media persona. Talking to Man Like about life when the cameras are off, Denola explains the important role fashion plays in his life, as well as the need to curate friends that get and support you. Read his interesting story here.
In this episode of Man Like, we talk to a Zikoko OG and all-around tech baddie, Justin Irabor popularly known as The Vunderkind. He talks to us about growing up independent, the unique thing that brings him joy, his fear of coasting through life and finally, his ideologies about masculinity. Take a deep dive into Justin’s mind here.
Like Alladin and the magic lamp, your favourite love song crooner transformed practically overnight into the bad boy we are dealing with today. It seems like nobody can get enough AG and you might be wondering how you can do this for yourself too. Here’s our guide to rebranding like Adekunle Gold/AG Baby.
1. Pierce your ears
The more piercings you get, the better. Wearing earrings can convert you from “where’s my hug?” type of guy to “Baby, come to me, m’olowo.”
2. Pick a new hairstyle
Enough of doing the same hairstyle for the last 10 years. Do Something Different (pun very much intended). Locs or braids are the way to go. Of course, this doesn’t apply to you if you’re working in one bank where you have to wear a tie. Don’t say Zikoko made you lose your job.
3. Grow out your beard
A beard changes EVERYTHING, according to some of my sauces.Look at how it changed Adekunle Wura to AG Zaddy. If you don’t believe it, look at a regular picture of Jason Momoa and look at him in Dune. They said his face looked like a freshly shaved armpit.
4. Stop focusing on love and start focusing on money
Nobody was pay AG Baby any attention when he was singing about Sade and Orente. Reports reaching us tell us that Orente was starting to complain, so Adekunle had to switch it up. Now, look at him.
5. Find something to motivate you.
For AG baby, he has been putting out bangers since his daughter was born. He is clearly motivated by all the school fees he’ll soon start paying.
7. Go and marry.
Since AG Baby married, he has been releasing constant bangers. Get married to a Nigerian woman today.
6. Get a tattoo.
This completes your bad boy makeover. You’re now ready to get on the road and break a few hearts.
What does it mean to be a man? Surely, it’s not one thing. It’s a series of little moments that add up.
“Man Like” is a weekly Zikoko series documenting these moments to see how it adds up. It’s a series for men by men, talking about men’s issues. We try to understand what it means to “be a man” from the perspective of the subject of the week.
Everyone gets their “man now” moment. When was yours?
I think this was 2011/2012 when I moved out of my parent’s house. I was 25 years old, and for the first time, I had to cater for myself — buy food in the house, buy fuel, pay light bills. I was like, yes, I’m now on my own.
LMAO. What pushed you to leave?
I’d always wanted to leave my parent’s house since I was 18, but I couldn’t afford to. I grew up in Ikotun and I didn’t like the area at the time, so I wanted to leave to see the world. I still remember when my friends and I went to one area outside Ikotun to find out the cost of a mini-flat. That’s how badly we wanted to leave. By the time I finished NYSC, I felt it was time, so I packed my bags and moved to Lekki.
Ahan. Biggest boy.
LMAO. My parents thought I was mad. They kept asking how I could afford to move from Ikotun to Lekki. I told them that I’d be fine. I didn’t have more than a year’s rent neither did I have a car. The only thing I had was my energy, which is to always do things nervously. I’m grateful I moved because going from Ikotun to Lekki exposed me and changed my life.
Noted. I too will move to Lekki.
What was the toughest part of moving out?
Ọmọ, everything was tough. When I lived in Ikotun, my transport fare was ₦100 to most places, but in Lekki, because there were barely public buses, I was spending ₦2,000 daily on transport to work. In between transport, stocking up my house and still trying to do omo boy, I was struggling. It was tough but at least it pushed me to increase my earnings.
How much were you earning during this period?
My brother, I was earning ₦150,000 before tax and spending like ₦40,000 out of that money on transport. That’s how badly I wanted to leave home.
Mahn. What drove you then, and what drives you now?
I didn’t have a lot of exposure growing up — I can count on one hand the number of times I went to Lagos Island before I turned 18 — but I always knew there was better beyond my environment. Stepping outside Alimosho LGA to the island was a dream for many kids in my area, and I wanted to see why.
I’ve never been comfortable with a fixed idea of myself because there has to be more to the type of conversations I’m having, more to the type of sound I’m making, more to what I can become. I’ve always been a curious person who is all about more.
Hmm. How does this play out in your life?
One major place is my sound. If you take my first recording as the final version, you’ll be disappointed. I easily change my mind. I can decide to change the tempo of the song or remove an instrument from the background. I’ve learnt to detach from the idea that there’s a fixed version of me.
Interesting. Doesn’t constant change scare you?
Most definitely. There’s nothing I’ve tried that I haven’t done nervously. One thing I’ll never do is hold back. Not trying will bother and fill me with regret. If I fail, at least I know that I tried. It might sound stupid, but I don’t see how anyone can thrive by playing safe. Everything I’ve done, I did it afraid.
Tell me about your biggest failure.
Anytime I “failed”, it turned out to be a stepping stone. I’ve made many mistakes in my life, but God found ways to switch it around because there’s no way my decisions have been perfect. I won’t say I’ve never made mistakes, but I don’t see them as failures. THEY all added up.
AG baby is Jesus’ baby oh.
Lol.
I’m curious about your sense of style. Tell me about it.
From my sense of style, you can already tell that I’m a spontaneous person — if I think it, I’m doing that shit because I don’t believe there should be fashion rules. Wear the shit that looks good on you: If you like palazzo, wear it. If it’s beads you like, wear it. If you want to dye your hair, dye it. Life is too broad, too wide and short to be worrying about how fashion should be done.
The most important thing is that you’re comfortable with your style. I know it comes across like I have my fashion shit together but the truth is that I don’t overthink these things.
My president! Has there been pushback?
So many times, and it’s not limited to fashion alone. There are decisions I’ve made that people around me were not happy with. I remember losing friends when I switched to Afropop. I kept on hearing, “You’re the King Sunny Ade [KSA] of our time, why do you want to switch?” I told them that I’m AG and not KSA, so I’m going to live life and make art on my own terms. I’m not going to allow anyone to project their fears on me. The switch to Afropop was scary, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.
AG baby is our baby!
Haha.
What are some things that give you joy?
Quality time with my friends and family. I’m happy playing PS 4 or 5 with my boys in the house. Or when my boys are in the house, and we spend time throwing banter. Then of course, I enjoy spending time with my girls because they give me the most beautiful feeling in the world. I’m at peace just chilling with them.
My chest. I want to hear about your fatherhood journey.
Even though I’m still fresh, I enjoy being a dad so much. I enjoy being responsible for raising a beautiful girl. Fatherhood is such a beautiful feeling and my prayer is that my daughter grows up in a world where she’s able to do whatever she wants. I want my daughter to live her life and grow up to be an amazing person.
Did anything prepare you for fatherhood?
I’ve always liked the idea of starting my own family, so I was looking forward to fatherhood. I was curious about the type of man I’d be with a child, and I don’t think I’m doing badly so far.
One minute while I confirm from Simi.
You can ask her. LMAO.
What would you say has changed since you became a father?
I make sure I don’t use swear words around my daughter because I’m very conscious about how my actions can influence her. I know she’s still small, but kids these days are very smart and this is a foundational period for her. I also spend more time at home — if it’s not money, you will always catch me in the house with my girls.
Family seems important to you. Would you say your background influenced your love for family?
I didn’t have a good family experience growing up and that’s why I’ve always desired to have my own beautiful family. Because my experience wasn’t something I wanted to carry on, I made a covenant to do better when I got the chance to start my own family.
What would you do differently from the way our parents raised us?
I’m never going to beat my child the way my father beat me. I’m not one of those “but I turned out good” gang. I’ve also learned that communication is important, and I’m going to ensure that I create an environment where my child is comfortable enough to tell me anything.
Can you adopt me?
Na so.
I’m curious about what you think is different about being a man in Nigeria.
Growing up as a man in Nigeria requires a lot of work. “To Be A Man Na Wah” is still a valid song because it’s not easy. My desire is that as men raised in Nigeria, we do a lot of unlearning especially regarding understanding and respecting women. I’m hopeful that in a few years, we raise mindful men who know to not harass women, unlike the current way where we raise women to be careful of men. I know that it’ll take a while because Nigerian men are raised on pure vibes.
Dead. I’m curious about the things you had to unlearn.
First thing is that rubbish mentality we had about not marrying a woman who can’t cook. Who says that a woman has to cook? If you can afford to hire a chef, do that shit. I’ve also learned that house chores are not a woman’s responsibility. You’re living with your friend, not your slave. Some people have told me that I’m not the lord of the house because I’m not “controlling” my wife. In marriage, you’re not lord anything. Ogbeni better calm down.
I feel you.
How would you describe your masculinity?
I am a guy-guy. If I like something, I show it. I cry if I’m emotional about something. I’m also clearly a lover boy.
LMAO. Has anything ever threatened this idea?
That one is normal everyday yarns for Nigerian men. That’s why you’ll find men who find it hard to say “I love you, bro” to their fellow men. It’s also why you’ll tell your dad you love him and he goes cold and says, “God bless you.”
You’re a man doesn’t mean you’re a rock. Men also run on blood and emotions, so farabale and loosen up because life is not hard.
I love you, AG!
Lol.
What has changed between Ikotun AG baby and the current you?
One thing that hasn’t changed is Ikotun. LMAO. I’m still that excitable boy who doesn’t know how to form — if I like or dislike something, you can tell on my face. One of my prayers is that I never lose my sense of wonder because I’m still that Ikotun boy who is learning and unlearning about life.
Check back every Sunday by 12 pm for new stories in the “Man Like” series. If you’d like to be featured or you know anyone that would be perfect for this, kindly send an email.
