Artist rebranding isn’t uncommon. We’ve seen it with Olamide and Asake, but the OG of the rebranding game? None other than Adekunle Almoruf Kosoko, popularly known as Adekunle Gold. Yet, somehow, this man doesn’t get nearly enough applause for the transformation he’s pulled off.
Once upon a time, Gold was a graphic designer, and it shows in how he meticulously redesigned every aspect of his persona.
In just six years, he has transitioned from the church usher/IT guy look of his OG “Adekunle Gold” days to the sugar daddy vibes of “AG Baby” and now the trendy appearance of “Tio Tequila” and “Eja nla.”
And let’s not forget, amid this glow-up, he (…counts fingers…) married Simi, one of the most beautiful vocalists in the game, changed his wardrobe, and elevated his sound from “broke guy trying to make it” to “let’s get this bread.”
Sure Asake and Rema also rebranded – the latter on his third page now with the release of “HEIS” – but none come close to the masterclass that is oko Simi.
Gold not only changed his look and sound but completely overhauled his style and aura. Those who vibed to the YBNL days of “Sade” and “Orente” in 2015 and then took a nap on his discography would be in for the shock of their lives listening to “High” and “Party No Dey Stop” in 2024.
Just ask that X user who tweeted, “My mum really loves Adekunle gold. We had to lie to her that he isn’t singing anymore after he rebranded AG Baby. The whole rebrand would have broken the heart of iya CAC” or another who confessed, “I say I didn’t recognize Adekunle the second time around. The style, the energy, the song, the artist… I thought it was a whole different artist. My husband spent time convincing me.”
Long story short, Adekunle is the Gold benchmark of rebranding and deserves more hype.