For all the reverence and cultural gravitas the album title suggests, Fuji isn’t a full-bodied exploration into the traditional genre. It borrows Fuji’s percussive textures, but stops short of full immersion.
By Abioye Damilare Samson
Adekunle Gold has always been deliberate in reinventing himself—sonically, artistically, and even in his fashion. Since breaking into the scene with “Sade” in 2014, and establishing his voice with his debut album, Gold, as an alternative folk singer in 2016, he has steadily revealed new layers of his artistry with each project.
Every of his album release marks a new era and persona: From the Adire-clad, Urban Highlife textures of Gold (2016), to the Afro-Pop explorations of AfroPop Vol. 1 (2020) with the AG Baby persona, to the radiant, experimental tones of Tequila Ever After (2023), and now, with his latest album, Fuji, Adekunle Gold comes full circle and reconnects with the urban traditional and highlife roots that first defined his sound.
Fuji, as the album title suggests, is a nod to a genre pioneered by the late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister — one that has produced legends such as K1 De Ultimate, Saheed Osupa, Pasuma, and other luminaries — and has long inspired generations of Nigerian artistes. It is a percussive, rhythm-driven music that evolved from Wéré—a chant-based wake-up music performed by young Muslim groups known as Ajisari—and has increasingly found its way into the work of many contemporary Afro-Pop stars, who sample, interpolate, and reimagine its rich textures.
The years 2023 and 2024, in particular, witnessed an unprecedented surge in Fuji incorporations across Afro-Pop. There was Seyi Vibez’s “Fuji Interlude” off Vibe Till Thy Kingdom Come (2023), Asake’s “Fuji Vibe” from his third studio album, Lungu Boy (2024), and several others, all of which made the arrival of an album that pays deliberate homage to Fuji feel timely and inevitable.
Following the announcement of Fuji, conversations among critics, fans, and music enthusiasts swelled around whether Adekunle Gold would embrace the genre in its purest form, with its layered percussion, call-and-response energy, and pulsating cadence.
Yet, the pre-released songs, “Obimo”, “Coco Money”, and “Bobo”, already hinted that the album title is a heartfelt tribute to the music he, according to him, “grew up on” as a young boy from the Kosoko family, a prominent royal lineage in Lagos.
As a Fuji-themed album, it is fitting that the opener, a song aptly titled “Big Fish” (also one of Adekunle Gold’s many monikers), begins with a sample from Lefty Salami Balogun’s 1970 Sakara classic “Agunbiade Baba Osha”, where the line “Omo oba ki n jagun bi eru” (“The child of a king doesn’t fight like a slave”) sets a regal tone.
From there, the song transitions into a heavy bass-driven beat where Adekunle delivers chest-thumping lines: “You know I came into the game since 24, Ogo wey dem never see before”. The second verse then shifts into a slow high-life rhythm, which exemplifies his fluid navigation between traditional and modern sounds.
The braggadocio continues on “Don Corleone”, where Adekunle Gold’s bold entry and delivery recall Fuji’s signature style, complemented by refreshing, soothing ad-lib vocals from Simi. The pre-released song “Bobo” is driven by talking drums that give the track a groovy rhythm, enriched further by Lojay and Shoday, whose verses add lively texture. On “Coco Money”, Adekunle Gold flaunts his wealth with a chorus that interpolates Rihanna’s 2015 hit track, “Bitch Better Have My Money”.
As a prolific creator of some of Afro-Pop’s most evocative love songs, Adekunle Gold taps into that emotive vein on “Believe”. He croons, “Though I walk through the walls of your fire/ See my heart and my feet e no taya/ Got me feeling like I don manya/ Can’t believe that you’re mine”, while the chorus samples the popular classic love anthem, “Just The Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers. “My Love Is The Same” is a tender love letter to his daughter, opening with their voices together. The song reflects his devotion and the sacrifices he makes to provide her with the best life.
On “Love Is An Action”, he teams up with 6lack over a log-drum-driven beat by interpolating Bobby Caldwell’s 1978 classic “What You Won’t Do For Love”, sharing a soulful reflection on the effort required in true love and the pain of unreciprocated feelings.
Fuji is imbued with liveliness and nostalgia, especially on “Many People”, where the Tungba maestro Yinka Ayefele’s jubilant vocals ripple through the track. “Many many (Many people)/ Many many (Many people)/ Many many many (Many people) (Come on)”, Ayefele interpolates one of his own iconic lines from “Mi O Mo J’orin Lo” off his 2003 classic album Aspiration, while Adekunle Gold flows effortlessly alongside him in the Tungba music style. The TMXO and Tiwany-produced “Attack” follows as a propulsive, up-tempo party track featuring Cruel Santino, Mavo, and a buoyant hook from Tkay Maidza.
One of the Fuji’s standout tracks, “Only God Can Save Me”, features Davido, with both artistes singing about the many temptations posed by the opposite sex. Interestingly, and perhaps intentionally, it’s followed by “Lailo”, where Adekunle Gold expresses admiration for his wife: “My baby love me and I love her too/ I dey reason matching tattoo/ Picture perfect/ Most wanted/ Mona Lisa beauty from the Louvre”. The Afrobeats rhythm of “Oba”, propelled by bass guitar and Adekunle Gold’s steady flow, makes it instantly magnetic.
The Seyifunmi-produced “Simile” opens with a guitar lick reminiscent of his 2018 classic hit record, “Ire”, layered with the transcendent voices of the Soweto Gospel Choir and his band, 79th Element. It is an introspective and emotionally raw song, with Adekunle Gold opening up about uncertainty and self-doubt: “I’m at a crossroad/ I’m out of my depth now/ Show me where to go/ I feel like a let down”. The choir adds a layer of spiritual depth and uplift, elevating the track.
Adekunle Gold delivers a powerful declaration of intent on “I’m Not Done”, featuring American pianist and songwriter. Robert Glasper. The track lives up to its name and serves as a retrospective on his remarkable career and a clear statement that his best work still lies ahead. The pre-released track “Obimo” closes Fuji as a delightful romantic love song that adds to his extensive catalogue of love-themed records.
With fifteen tracks, Fuji stands as a confident statement from an artiste fully aware of his evolution. It is Adekunle Gold’s most assured, most braggadocious, and perhaps, his most revealing record yet, a man relishing his transformation while still tracing the roots of his artistry. The album moves between themes of success, faith, desire, and self-assurance, holding them together with the poise of someone who knows he’s earned his seat at the table of Afro-Pop’s most distinctive voices.
Fuji’s percussive spirit comes alive most vividly in songs like “Bobo,” “Don Corleone,” and “Coco Money.” The syncopated rhythms shimmer through crisp drums, talking drum accents, and layered vocal cadences that nod to Fuji.
Adekunle Gold finds clever ways to make these rhythms breathe in new light, stitching together samples that should never have worked but somehow do, like Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do for Love” interlaced into an Afro-Pop groove, or the interpolation of Rihanna’s “Bitch Better Have My Money”.
In true Adekunle Gold fashion, these choices reveal a sonic confidence rooted in his history of experimentation. This is an artiste who has never shied away from bending form, blending styles, and testing the boundaries of his own sound.
His delivery across Fuji is a clear indicator of his refinement. There’s a newfound composure in his voice that commands attention without trying too hard. From flexing his wins to crooning about desire, the tone remains effortless and smooth.
Yet, for all the reverence and cultural gravitas the album title suggests, Fuji isn’t a full-bodied exploration into the traditional genre. It borrows Fuji’s percussive textures, but stops short of full immersion. One might have expected a track that leans heavily into Fuji’s call-and-response flow, or perhaps a collaboration with a Fuji legend to deepen its homage.
Even so, Fuji stands as a sleek, pop-forward celebration of a man at the height of his craft. For longtime fans deeply yearning for the folksy rootedness of Gold or the introspective depth of About 30, Fuji may not feel like the homecoming they expect. But it offers something golden: the sound of Adekunle Gold fully realised and basking in the glow of his own evolution.
Lyricism – 1.5
Tracklisting – 1.5
Sound Engineering – 1.5
Vocalisation – 1.7
Listening Experience – 1.6
Rating – 7.8/10
Abioye Damilare Samson is a music journalist and culture writer focused on the African entertainment industry. His works have appeared in Afrocritik, Republic NG, NATIVE Mag, Culture Custodian, 49th Street, and more. Connect with him on Twitter and IG: @Dreyschronicle