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Adekunle Gold opens up on challenges behind hit song ‘Coco Money’
Afropop star Adekunle Gold (AG Baby) has lifted the curtain on the behind-the-scenes challenges that almost kept his hit single Coco Money from seeing the light of day.
In a recent interview with Apple Music, the singer, styled in a brown crocodile-skin jacket, disclosed that the track was stuck in clearance limbo for more than a year. “It took over a year to clear Coco Money,” he revealed, underscoring the often frustrating legal hurdles artists face when working with interpolations.
Released on July 18, 2025, the record reimagines Rihanna’s 2015 smash Bitch Better Have My Money. Unlike direct sampling, which lifts sound from an existing recording, interpolation requires artists to recreate parts of a song while still obtaining permission from the original writers and publishers.
For a global anthem like Rihanna’s, that meant Adekunle Gold had to secure multiple greenlights, a slow and expensive process that dragged the release far longer than planned.
The revelation highlights why many artists shy away from using borrowed material. Rights clearance often involves months of back-and-forth negotiations over fees, royalties, and licensing terms. But for Adekunle Gold, the patience paid off.
Since its release, Coco Money has earned praise for fusing contemporary Afropop with Yoruba street-inspired Elegbe rhythms, cementing it as a standout track from his latest body of work. The delay, though daunting, ultimately reinforced AG Baby’s reputation as a risk-taker determined to push creative boundaries even when the business side of music slows him down.
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