Adekunle Gold joins Def Jam and drops an album in June.

Adekunle Kosoko, a Nigerian musician better known by his stage name Adekunle Gold, is poised to join the group of Nigerian artists making waves abroad.

According to a report from Billboard on Tuesday, the “High” crooner has formally joined the well-known American record company Def Jam Records.

Tunji Balogun, the company’s chief executive officer and chairman, announced this in a statement.

Balogun praised Kosoko for his lyrics, craftsmanship, singing, and showmanship in the release.

Since I first heard Adekunle Gold’s album “Sade” in 2016, he remarked, “I’ve been following him. “Over the years, everything in AG’s world has elevated — his songwriting has refined, the scope of his artistry has widened, his vocals have strengthened, his approach to fashion is more distinct, and his showmanship and performance ability have grown exponentially,”

He entered the spotlight on his own terms and is entirely at ease being himself.

Balogun disclosed that as soon as he began working at the label in 2022, he had intended to introduce Def Jam into the Afrobeats sector.

“Adekunle felt like the perfect fit. He’d already put in so much effort on his own to establish a following, but I knew that if we pooled our resources and worked together, we could increase his audience to an even higher level,” he continued.

Gold also expressed excitement about joining the label and working with Balogun, particularly given their common Nigerian ancestry.

Gold remarked, “He gets it. “Thus, joining Tunji makes sense. He’s like my studio buddy that simply comes everywhere I go. I know he must have been insanely busy on the day he didn’t have time to be there. He is excellent.

“There is a track record. The past is present. I believe it’s the proper course of action for me because they break artists and have specialized, distinctive artists like me. They are on board because they are already aware of what I’ve already done for myself.

Def Jam Records, which is owned by Universal Music Group, has produced legendary artists like Jay Z, Rihanna, and Kanye West in the past.

With his breakthrough song, “Sade,” he became known as AG Baby and entered the Nigerian music industry in 2015. His debut studio album, “Gold,” was released in 2017, the same year he signed his first record label deal with YBNL Nation.

The father of one founded his own company, Afro Urban Records, two years after the contract ended. Two albums were subsequently published by him: “Around 30” in 2018 and “Catch Me If You Can” in 2022.

In June 2023, Def Jam will release a new album from him.