Burna Boy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Burna Boy
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Burna Boy in 2024
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Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu
July 2, 1991 Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
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| Citizenship | Nigerian |
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| Years active | 2010–present |
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| Relatives | Nissi Ogulu (sister) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Lagos, Nigeria |
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Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (born July 2, 1991), known as Burna Boy, is a famous Nigerian singer, songwriter, and music producer. He became well-known in 2012 with his song "Like to Party." This song was the first single from his first album, L.I.F.E, which came out in 2013.
In 2017, Burna Boy signed a big music deal with Atlantic Records. His third album, Outside, was released in 2018. It was his first album with a major record label.
Burna Boy won the Best International Act award at the BET Awards in 2019. He also released his fourth album, African Giant, that year. This album won Album of the Year at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award.
In 2020, Burna Boy won African Artist of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards. He then released his fifth album, Twice as Tall. This album won Best World Music Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. He won Best International Act at the 2021 BET Awards for the third time.
His sixth album, Love, Damini, came out in July 2022. It was the highest-debuting Nigerian album on the Billboard 200 chart. It also became the highest-charting African album in France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. In October 2022, Burna Boy received the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic award for his music achievements.
In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine listed him as one of the 200 greatest singers of all time. Burna Boy won his fourth Best International Act award at the 2023 BET Awards. His song "Last Last" won Afrobeats Single of the Year and Song of the Year at The Headies 2023. Burna Boy is the first African artist to have two albums with over 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Contents
Life and career
Early life and education
Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu was born on July 2, 1991, in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. His mother, Bose Ogulu, worked as a language translator. His father, Samuel Ogulu, managed a welding company. His grandfather, Benson Idonije, used to manage the famous musician Fela Kuti. Later, Burna Boy's mother became his manager.
Damini grew up in Southern Nigeria. He started making his own music beats using a program called FL Studio. He went to Corona Secondary School in Agbara, Nigeria. After that, he moved to London, England, to study more. He studied media technology at the University of Sussex from 2008 to 2009. He also studied media communications and culture at Oxford Brookes University from 2009 to 2010.
Burna Boy returned to Port Harcourt and worked as an intern at Rhythm 93.7 FM for a year. He started his music career after moving back to Lagos.
2012–2015: L.I.F.E and On a Spaceship
Burna Boy's first album, L.I.F.E, was released on August 12, 2013. It followed his second mixtape, Burn Identity, from 2011. The album sold 40,000 copies on its first day.
The album had five popular songs before it was released: "Like to Party", "Tonight", "Always Love You", "Run My Race", and "Yawa Dey". All the songs on L.I.F.E were produced by Leriq. Other artists like 2face Idibia and Wizkid also appeared on the album.
Nigeria Entertainment Today listed L.I.F.E as one of the best albums of 2013. The music was inspired by artists like Fela Kuti and Bob Marley. Music critics liked the album a lot. It was nominated for Best Album of the Year at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. In August 2013, L.I.F.E reached number seven on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.
In 2014, Burna Boy left Aristokrat Records. Eight months later, in February 2015, he started his own record label called Spaceship Entertainment. His second album, On a Spaceship, was released on November 25, 2015. He also released a 7-song collection called Redemption in September 2016. Its first song, "Pree Me", was first heard on Noisey.
2018–2019: Outside and African Giant
On January 19, 2018, Burna Boy was featured on "Sunshine Riptide" by the American rock band Fall Out Boy. This song was on their album Mania. A week later, on January 26, 2018, he released his third album, Outside.
Burna Boy called Outside a mixtape. It mostly featured afrobeats, dancehall, reggae, and road rap music. It included guest artists like J Hus, Lily Allen, and Mabel. Six songs from Outside were released as singles: "Rock Your Body", "Streets of Africa", "Koni Baje", "Sekkle Down", "Heaven's Gate", and "Ye".
The album received great reviews from critics. Pulse Nigeria and Nigerian Entertainment Today called it the best Nigerian album of 2018. It won Album of the Year at the 2018 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. In February 2018, Outside reached number three on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. The song "Ye" was named the biggest song of 2018 by many Nigerian music publications.
On October 7, 2018, Burna Boy performed to a sold-out crowd at London's O2 Academy Brixton. Before the show, he had a special event where he sold his "Space Puffs" cereal and other items. On October 9, 2018, he was announced as one of Spotify's new Afro Hub artists. He was also named YouTube's Artist on the Rise for three months.
On January 3, 2019, Burna Boy was announced as one of the artists performing at the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. He won four awards at the Soundcity MVP Awards Festival, including African Artiste of the Year. On March 21, 2019, Burna Boy released a 4-song collection with the electronic duo DJDS, called Steel & Copper. This collection mixed Burna Boy's upbeat music with DJDS's trap beats.
On June 24, 2019, Burna Boy won Best International Act at the 2019 BET Awards. In July 2019, he was featured as an Apple Music Up Next artist. He also recorded "Ja Ara E" for Beyoncé's The Lion King: The Gift album. He was the only guest artist with his own song on that soundtrack.
Burna Boy's fourth album, African Giant, was released on July 26, 2019. Six songs from the album were released as singles: "Gbona", "On the Low", "Killin Dem", "Dangote", "Anybody", and "Pull Up". He started recording the album in 2018. He said it was his most personal project. To promote the album, Burna Boy went on the African Giant Returns tour.
Burna Boy also recorded "My Money, My Baby" for the Queen & Slim soundtrack. This song used a sample from Fela Kuti's 1972 song "Shakara". On November 22, 2019, Burna Boy was featured with Ed Sheeran on Stormzy's song "Own It". In November 2019, he became the first Afrobeat artist to sell out the SSE Arena in London. He received a special award for this achievement.
2020–2022: Twice as Tall and Love, Damini
In April 2020, Burna Boy performed in the One World: Together at Home special. On June 19, 2020, he was featured on the remix of South African producer Master KG's popular song "Jerusalema". Burna Boy used his afrobeat style and sang partly in the isiZulu language. On July 30, 2020, Burna Boy was featured on British singer Sam Smith's song "My Oasis".
His fifth album, Twice as Tall, was released on August 14, 2020. It was produced by Diddy and Burna Boy's mother, Bose Ogulu. The album became his highest-charting project, reaching number one on the Billboard World Albums Chart. On November 24, 2020, Twice as Tall was nominated for Best Global Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. This was his second Grammy nomination in a row.
He won an Edison Award for African Giant. He also won Best International Act at the MOBO Awards on December 9, beating artists like Drake. At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards on March 15, 2021, he won the Grammy award for Best Global Music album. Burna Boy's song "Destiny" was played at the inauguration of Joe Biden. He won Best International Act at the 2021 BET Awards, becoming the first African artist to win it three times in a row.
On March 19, 2021, Burna Boy was featured on Canadian singer Justin Bieber's song "Loved by You". On September 17, 2021, he was featured on American singer-songwriter Jon Bellion's song "I Feel It". In 2022, he was named the "Best Solo Act in the World" by NME.
Burna Boy released his sixth album, Love, Damini, on July 8, 2022. The songs "Kilometre" and "Last Last" were released before the album. Burna Boy held his first concert in Jamaica on December 18, 2022.
2023–2024: I Told Them…
In April 2023, Burna Boy released "Mera Na" with Sidhu Moose Wala. This song was a tribute to Sidhu. "Mera Na" appeared on charts like Billboard Global 200. In June, he released "Sittin On Top Of The World". This song used parts of Brandy's 1998 hit "Top of the World".
On June 10, 2023, Burna Boy became the first African artist to perform at the UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show. He performed at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. Over 71,000 fans were there, and more than 700 million people watched. In July, he became the first African artist to headline and sell out a stadium show in the United States. This concert was at Citi Field in New York.
Billboard named him the top Afrobeat artist of 2023. At the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, Burna Boy won the first Best Afrobeats award. In November, he was nominated for four Grammy awards. This made him the Nigerian artist with the most Grammy nominations ever, with ten in total. He was also the first Nigerian to be nominated for five years in a row, from 2019 to 2023. He was named the most streamed Sub-Saharan African artist globally on Spotify for the second year in a row. The Recording Academy called Burna Boy the biggest artist in Africa. The Nation named him the entertainer of the year for his amazing year.
"Sittin' on Top of the World" was nominated for Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. Burna Boy performed the song at the ceremony on February 4, 2024, with Brandy and 21 Savage. In November 2024, his song "Higher" was nominated for Best African Music Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.
2025–present: No Sign of Weakness
On July 10, 2025, Burna Boy released his eighth album, No Sign of Weakness. This album featured artists like Travis Scott, Mick Jagger, Stromae, and Shaboozey. Through this album, he focused more on individual songs rather than many collaborations. His labels, Spaceship, Atlantic Records, and Bad Habit, produced the album. The album has different music styles, including country, '90s hip-hop, tech house, rock, and Nigerian electronic music.
Burna Boy announced the No Sign of Weakness North America tour before the album came out. The tour started at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado in November 2025. All North American shows have a 360-degree stage, except for Red Rocks. He also performed in Germany and England before the tour.
Personal life
Burna Boy dated British rapper Stefflon Don from 2018 to 2022. In December 2024, people started talking about Burna Boy and American R&B singer Chloe Bailey. They were seen together in Lagos. On February 7, 2025, Premium Times Nigeria confirmed they were dating. In 2025, Burna Boy was named one of GQ's Best-Dressed Men.
Artistry
Burna Boy's music is mainly a mix of Afrobeats, hip hop, reggae, and R&B. He calls his music "Afro-fusion." It combines Afrobeat, dancehall, hip-hop, pop, R&B, and reggae. August Brown from the Los Angeles Times said Burna Boy's sound is "smart and modern."
Kittitian dancehall artist Byron Messia said Burna Boy is a very talented lyricist. Burna Boy told The Punch that he gets inspiration when he is in the studio. He said the music ideas just flow to him. Fans and critics like his songs because of their meaningful words. He also talks about important topics in his music. For example, on the African Giant album, the song "Another Story" discusses Nigeria's history. Nigerian singer Omah Lay said Burna Boy is the best songwriter he has ever seen.
Burna Boy is known for his unique voice. He sings in a mix of English, Yoruba, and Nigerian Pidgin. Rolling Stone magazine listed Burna Boy among the 200 greatest singers of all time.
Legacy
Many people believe Burna Boy is a leading figure in Afrobeats music. Talent manager Kim Moore told CNN that Burna Boy's Grammy win will inspire other African artists. BBC radio presenter Darren Joseph called him "an icon among a generation."
Rolling Stone described him as a Nigerian cultural giant. They said he is an ambassador for Afrobeats around the world. Lloyd Bradley of The Guardian said Twice As Tall helps African music fit into the 21st century. In 2021, Pitchfork named him one of the most important artists of their first 25 years.
BOF named him as one of the people shaping the global fashion industry in 2023. Lawrence Burney of Vulture said Burna Boy's style helped him gain more success in the U.S. African artist Angélique Kidjo dedicated her Grammy win to Burna Boy. She said he changed how people around the world see Africa and its music. Aniefiok Ekpoudom of The Guardian said Burna Boy wants to remind Africans about their roots.
Activism
Burna Boy believes in Pan-Africanism. This means he believes in connecting with people of African descent around the world. He sees Africa as the mother continent. He speaks out for social justice. Burna Boy uses his music to talk about important issues in Nigeria and globally.
In his album African Giant, he explores Nigeria's history. Songs like "Another Story" talk about the negative impact of colonial rule. "Collateral Damage" encourages Nigerians to stand up against unfairness. "Wetin Man Go Do" talks about the struggles of everyday people. BBC radio presenter DJ Target said, "He represents change, and speaks out against injustice."
After the 2019 Johannesburg riots in South Africa, he said he would not visit South Africa again if the government did not act. In 2020, he created a fund to help victims of the #EndSARS protests against police brutality. Estelle Uba of The Republic said Burna Boy's powerful songs make people think about unfairness in their countries. His song "20-10-20" supported the #EndSARS protesters. It spoke out against bad government and police brutality in Nigeria.
Awards and nominations
Discography
- Studio albums
- L.I.F.E (2013)
- On a Spaceship (2015)
- Outside (2018)
- African Giant (2019)
- Twice as Tall (2020)
- Love, Damini (2022)
- I Told Them... (2023)
- No Sign of Weakness (2025)
Tour
- Life on the Outside Tour (2018)
- African Giant Tour (2019)
- Twice As Tall Tour (2020)
- Love, Damini Tour (2022)
- I Told Them... Tour (2023)
See also
In Spanish: Burna Boy para niños
- List of Nigerian musicians
- List of people from Port Harcourt
