A colleague of mine once saw Adekunle Gold perform at an award ceremony last year and based on the response Mr. Gold got that night from the crowd, he concluded that Adekunle is not much of a phenomenal performer.
In the same vein, my boss at work believes Adekunle Gold is all hype and no substance. I won’t blame them. In an industry where real talent is fast becoming a rarity, access to funds and a committed PR team is fast becoming the only recipe needed to succeed these days.
Before 2015 when he got the attention of the YBNL boss Olamide, Adekunle was just a popular graphic artist known for his photo-shopping aptitude. In a short while his story telling strategy and Afro-fusion genre has made him a treasured commodity just like the gold he calls himself.
READ: 7 CRAZY things Adekunle Gold did before making it big
Nigerians seems to be embracing alternative music these days because most of these artistes deploy phenomenal song writing abilities in making music. They don’t travel the route of the pop musicians who are known for their catchy beat combining it with their copy and paste instrumentation. Adekunle Gold’s ‘Pick Up’ is the heart cry of an average Nigerian hustling for survival and hoping that fortune will one day smile at them.
Hear him: ‘Baba God oh emi na fe wa Range oh. Dangote o’lori meji. Na beg I dey beg oh. Olorun orun pick up pick up. Emi na fe wa Bentley. Otedola o’lori meji pick up pick up na beg I dey beg oh’. Since a good story evokes positive emotions from the audience; the song catapulted Mr Orente to an enviable point in his career. In marketing communication, your words and marketing strategy has to resonate with your target audience.
When I first saw the graphic design for ‘Orente’, I was astonished at the title of the song and my curiosity made me download it. Just like any marketing message, a story should capture your attention. Adekunle did that with ‘Orente’. Now young lovers use the Orente analogy to prove that against all odds their love will not wane. Even a Yoruba film was given the same title.
The most successful brands in the world own a word in the mind of the consumers. Adekunle Gold is playing the game well and winning the hearts of his fans. In a competitive music scene, the power of storytelling is helping the likes of Simi, Falz the bahd guy to remain irresistible and get the mind share of their fans.
READ: Adekunle Gold, Simi and Falz: The Love triangle no one is talking about!
