Nigerian singer Burna Boy, whose real name is Damini Ogulu, is facing backlash for his controversial comments about Afrobeats.
During a recent interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe in New York, Burna Boy described Afrobeats as having “no substance” and being “about nothing.”
This statement has not been well-received by fans of Afrobeats, who feel that he is diminishing the experiences and music of other artists in the genre.
Many have called him out for downplaying the craft of others and for being ungrateful, considering that he has benefited from the genre himself.
Some have also criticized him for claiming Fela Kuti as his mentor, as they believe Fela was not mannerless or uncouth when it came to African priorities.
Larry via Twitter handle said: ‘Dear Burna Boy, you don’t need to downplay other people’s crafts just because you sampled your way to the top.’
Rahliata Musa said: ‘No be your fault. What substance does his songs have too?’
Wayup wrote: ‘After benefitting from the genre youre here talking rubbish. What do you mean there’s no susbance in Afrobeats? Why didnt you start your career with Rap or HipHop since you think Afrobeats has no substance. Ungrateful preek.’
Ngozi wrote: “This burna be acting so uncouth most times 😢😢 and he be saying his mentor is FELA meanwhile we all know fela wasn’t mannerless or uncouth when it comes to African priorities.”
Article updated 2 weeks ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
