It is widely believed that for a Nigerian artiste to be successful, he or she has to do ‘commercial’ music. Commercial music in this case means pop, street sounds.
Even though this is still largely the case, some artistes such as Adekunle Gold, Praiz, Simi, among others, have been able to carve a niche for themselves with their songs which are different from the norm.
However, Adekunle Gold said it wasn’t a very easy decision for him to take. Speaking to Sunday Scoop, he said, “I feel very happy that alternative music is getting better acceptance in the industry. Music is very wide and there is no reason to limit ourselves to just a part of it. Initially, I was worried and scared because my music is different. I wasn’t really sure if I would be able to connect to the audience. I had some fears but I decided to stay true to myself. It is very important to believe in yourself and to have confidence in your abilities. There were many times that I was turned down and I felt like giving up. So, it hasn’t been an easy task. I am thankful for all that I have been able to achieve in the industry so far. I believe that if you are consistent, it would ultimately pay off.”
On if he still does graphics design, Gold said, “I still do that but just for myself alone. There is no time for me to engage in it on a larger scale.”