From Street Boy to Street Name: Adekunle Gold Receives Special Lagos Honor
In a touching tribute that brings his journey full circle, Nigerian Afropop sensation Adekunle Gold now has a permanent place on the map of Lagos – quite literally. The 38-year-old singer recently celebrated the unveiling of “Adekunle Kosoko Street,” marking a remarkable milestone in his rise from Lagos Island to global stardom.
In a heartwarming moment captured on Instagram, Gold shared the ceremonial unveiling with his closest supporters – his wife, fellow musician Simi, and their daughter Deja. The family moment turned symbolic as they jointly revealed the striking red street sign bearing his birth name, “Adekunle Kosoko Street.”
“The city that raised me now carries my name. Thank you Lord for my many blessings,” the ‘Sade’ crooner expressed, his words carrying the weight of a journey that began in 1987 as a prince of the Kosoko royal family. The street naming carries special significance given his lineage to Kosoko, the powerful monarch who ruled Lagos from 1845 to 1851.
The honor comes at a particularly meaningful time for Gold, who has just dropped his sixth studio album ‘Fuji’ – a homage to the legendary genre and its pioneers like Adewale Ayuba and Saheed Osupa. It’s been quite the evolution for the artist who first captured hearts in 2015 with ‘Sade’, his innovative highlife remix of One Direction’s ‘Story of My Life’.
Since then, Gold has built an impressive discography through five acclaimed albums: ‘Gold’ (2016), ‘About 30’ (2018), ‘Afro Pop, Vol. 1’ (2020), ‘Catch Me If You Can’ (2022), and ‘Tequila Ever After’ (2023). After his early days with YBNL Nation, he blazed his own trail with Afro Urban Records before partnering with international powerhouse Def Jam Recordings.
The street naming stands as a powerful symbol of Gold’s impact on Nigerian music and culture, cementing his legacy in the very streets that shaped him.
