Nigerian Afrobeats star Adekunle Kosoko, popularly known as Adekunle Gold or AG Baby, has opened up about his ongoing battle with sickle cell anemia, revealing that he still experiences health crises despite decades of treatment and careful management.
In a heartfelt video from a recent interview shared on social media, the Fuji crooner used his story to raise awareness about the importance of genotype testing and early education on the condition, especially among young couples.
“I still have crises,” he confessed simply, before delving into the lifelong reality of living with sickle cell disease. The 38-year-old singer explained that he has been on lifelong medication since childhood.
He recounted his earliest memories of the illness:
“The first time I ever heard of sickle cell was when I would fall sick every time, with my joints aching. So when we talk about a crisis, it is pain in your joints, my legs, and sometimes my stomach. It’s really crazy.
The first time I noticed that I had it was the night I fell sick and my dad wasn’t home, and my mum put me on her back and we walked miles to the hospital. I don’t remember how old I was, maybe like 5 or 7.
That was when the doctor told me about it, and they told me that I would be taking folic acid and B complex for the rest of my life. And that was my life for a very long time, even till now.”
AG Baby revealed that while his crises have reduced in frequency over time, the pain and challenges persist. “I still have crises once in a while, but not as bad as I had them when I was a child, maybe because I have found a way to take care of myself more properly. And I’m grateful to God for the resources to be able to do that,” he shared.
He also emphasized his desire to use his platform to promote greater awareness and advocacy around the disease:
“My vision is to make more noise about it because a lot of people don’t know about it, and the important organisations are not making so many moves regarding it.
Where sickle cell is more popular or where people know it most is my country, Nigeria. And it happens when an SS matches an SS. That’s why knowing your genotype is very important, because the point is you should not bring many more kids who have sickle cell.”
Adekunle Gold’s openness adds a new layer to his public persona beyond the glitz of Afrobeats stardom; it reveals the resilience of an artist who has endured immense pain yet continues to inspire through music and purpose.
“I still have crises once in a while, but not as bad as I had it when I was a child…”
Adekunle Gold speaks candidly about living with sickle cell. pic.twitter.com/piMudobwGX
— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) October 30, 2025