Yemi Obafemi
Adekunle Gold has recounted how a rejection during his Project Fame audition shaped his approach to his music career, saying the experience taught him to keep working on his craft.
The singer, whose real name is Adekunle Almoruf Kosoko, recalled the experience during an interview on the One54 Podcast, where he spoke about auditioning before Nigerian music producer Cobhams Asuquo.
Adekunle Gold said he wanted Cobhams to like his performance but was told that while the producer liked his voice, it was not what he was looking for at the time.
“For a cool man to say he loved my voice, then, okay, maybe I actually have something,” he recalled.
He said the response showed him that rejection did not necessarily mean he lacked the ability to succeed.
“You can either crumble or go, you know what, it’s time to go to work,” Adekunle Gold said.
His interest in music began years earlier through the church, where he watched young choir members lead and hoped to have the same opportunity.
He also traced the origin of his stage name to a youth conference he attended in 2008. According to him, a preacher repeatedly used the phrase, “You can’t substitute brass for gold,” which inspired the name he eventually adopted.
Adekunle Gold further described music as a powerful means of connecting with human emotions and memories.
“Melodies are so powerful,” he said, noting that songs can take listeners back to particular people, places and periods of their lives.
He also referenced Fela Kuti’s view that music is spiritual, saying he feels fortunate to make music that connects with people in that way.
