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Afropop star Adekunle Gold has revealed that his hit single Coco Money faced a long road to release, taking more than a year to clear before it could officially drop.
The singer shared this detail in a recent interview, shedding light on the often overlooked hurdles that come with music production.
In a clip from the interview, Adekunle Gold, dressed in a brown crocodile-skin jacket and seated in front of an Apple Music microphone, explained plainly, “It took over a year to clear Coco Money.” His statement reflects the drawn-out process that artists endure when working with existing material.
Released on July 18, 2025, Coco Money uses an interpolation of Rihanna’s 2015 hit Bitch Better Have My Money. Unlike sampling, which directly uses parts of an existing recording, interpolation requires artists to re-record the melody or lyrics while still seeking legal approval from the original songwriters and publishers. For a global hit like Rihanna’s, this meant Adekunle Gold and his team had to secure agreements from multiple rights holders, a process that can be both costly and time-consuming.
This revelation shines a spotlight on why many musicians stick to creating original compositions. Clearing rights often involves lengthy negotiations over fees, royalties, and terms of use. In Adekunle Gold’s case, it delayed the release of a song that was otherwise ready for the public.
Despite the wait, the gamble paid off. Coco Money has since been celebrated for blending modern Afropop with Yoruba street sounds, known as Elegbe, marking it as one of the standout tracks from his recent project. Adekunle Gold’s persistence not only delivered a hit but also showed his commitment to pushing creative boundaries, even when the business side of music slows things down.
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