Burna Boy

Afro-fusionPort Harcourt, Rivers StateSince 2012Active

Biography

Burna Boy, born Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu on July 2 1991 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is the most awarded Nigerian musician of his generation and one of the defining global music artists of the early 2020s. Raised in a musical family — his grandfather was the manager of Fela Kuti — he developed a sophisticated understanding of African music's political and cultural potential from an early age. He began releasing music in 2012 and signed to Aristokrat Records, releasing the single Like to Party which became an immediate hit. His early albums L.O.D.B. (2013) and On a Spaceship (2015) built a devoted following, but it was Outside (2018) and African Giant (2019) that marked his arrival as a genuinely global force. African Giant was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album, and he publicly criticised the Recording Academy's use of the term World Music to describe African music. Twice as Tall (2020) won the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album — the first time a Nigerian artist had won the award — elevating him to the summit of global music. Love, Damini (2022) debuted at number one in the United Kingdom. Burna Boy has collaborated with Ed Sheeran, Dave, Stormzy, Chris Martin, J Balvin, Sam Smith, and Diddy among many others. He performs to sell-out crowds at Madison Square Garden, the O2 Arena, and stadiums across Africa and Europe. He has won multiple Grammy nominations, BET Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards, and BRIT Award nominations. He is widely regarded as the most important African musician of his era and a powerful voice for African dignity on the world stage.