A lot has happened since we first heard Burna Boy sing. The Afro-fusion artiste whose signature style is the sampling of Afrobeats, Reggae, RnB and pop in interesting and entertaining ways has had a tough but rewarding career since the release of his debut hit single “Like to Party”(2012) and his album, L.I.F.E, in 2013 which featured a number of hit songs. Fast forward to the present day, Burna Boy has gradually become an artist whose music is beloved to people across varying ages and social status earning him appellations such as “modern-day Fela” among others. This article will attempt to explore certain aspects of Burna Boy’s life and career in order to get a holistic view of who the artist is.
Background
Burna Boy (Damini Ogulu) hails from Mbiama in Ahoda West Local Government Area of Rivers State; born to Mr. Samuel Ogulu and Mrs. Bose Ogulu. His mother is said to have been one of Fela Kuti’s dancers at the Kalakuta Shrine. He was raised partly in Rivers State and in Lagos
Career
With admirable vocals and a knack for blending and fusing musical genres, Burna Boy has successfully built his career from the ground up, earning the respect of fans and his fellow artists. He came into prominence in 2012 after signing with Aristokrat Records under which he dropped the single “Abeg Abeg Abeg” followed by his first single “Like to Party”. “Like to Party”, “Tonight”, “Yawa Dey”, “Run My Race”, and “Gbona” remain an all-time fans’ favorite.
So far, he has to his name four albums (L.I.F.E(2013), On a Spaceship(2015), Outside (2018)), two mixtapes (Burn Notice(2011) & Burn Identity(2011)), and two EPs (Redemption(2016) & Steel & Copper(with DJDS)(2019)).
While he has had many hit songs that have dominated the airwaves many times in the past, Burna Boy’s recent series of success hits from 2018 till date places him in the league of artists that you can only describe as ‘tremendously successful’. From his single “Heaven’s Gate” to “Devil in California” to “Ye”, “Gbona”, “On the Low”, “Killin’ Dem” and most recently, “Dangote”. There’s no longer a scintilla of doubt where his place is in the history of Nigerian music even as he has gained massive international recognition. If there had ever been any doubt in the first place, it is cleared now. He could even be said to have been the artist of the year 2018. There is a favorite Burna Boy song for everyone.
He held a private listening party of his forthcoming album, African Giant, in April which is expected to be out later this year.
Controversies
Just like most famous people, the “Gbona” crooner has had his share of controversies, maybe a little more than others.
There have been rumors of him being wanted for a crime in the UK, an allegation he has neither confirmed nor denied. Also, in 2013, Burna’s recreation of the underwear-only stage performance. Fela Kuti was known for sparked outrage of critics and fans alike. In 2015, one Uju Stella accused him of impregnating her, a claim he has since denied the responsibility of.
Perhaps the most enthralling of all the too-numerous-to-mention controversies in his name is the one regarding the official announcement of his Coachella performance earlier this year. Burna Boy called out the organizers for treating Africans with derision and disregard, saying that his name was written illegibly on the e-poster shared online. He said he is an African giant and doesn’t to be treated in that manner.
In summation, it doesn’t matter if you like him or not. Through controversies and misrepresentations, Burna has risen and cemented his name on the monument that is Nigerian music history, and nothing can change that.
