Burna Boy

Before becoming the afrcan giant he was a too foreign artiste to Nigerians. Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, known professionally as Burna Boy, was born on July 2, 1991, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. He grew up in southern Nigeria in an upper-middle-class family. His father managed a welding company, while his mother, Bose Ogulu, worked as a translator and later became his manager.

Burna Boy attended a private primary school in Port Harcourt and completed his secondary education at Corona Secondary School in Agbara, Ogun State, graduating in 2008. After high school, he moved to the United Kingdom for further studies. He first attended the University of Sussex, where he studied Media Technology from 2008 to 2009, and then transferred to Oxford Brookes University to study Media Communications and Culture from 2009 to 2010.

In 2010, Burna Boy was arrested in London for alleged involvement with a gang linked to a stabbing incident. He was tried as a minor and served 11 months in jail, followed by parole and community service. Despite this, he traveled to Nigeria and later attempted to return to the UK, only to be deported and banned from entering the UK for 15 years. This period of his life was kept secret for years but later became public knowledge, adding to his “bad boy” persona.

On returning to Nigeria he completed a year-long internship at Rhythm 93.7 FM in Port Harcourt, which helped him gain industry experience before launching his music career.

Before settling on “Burna Boy,” he performed under the name “Shotgun,” inspired by his love for superhero comic. After his internship at Rhythm 93.7 FM, Burna Boy signed with Aristokrat Records. His breakout came in 2012 with the single “Like to Party,” which became the lead single on his debut album “L.I.F.E.” released in 2013. The album featured other hits such as “Yawa Dey,” “Always Love You,” and “Run My Race,” and introduced him to a wider African audience.

Burna Boy’s journey to global stardom was marked by significant obstacles within the Nigerian music industry. He has openly stated that powerful industry gatekeepers tried to sabotage his career, especially after his initial breakthrough with the hit “Like To Party.” Despite the song’s success, Burna Boy was relegated to underground status for several years, facing deliberate efforts to block his progress and limit his exposure. He described these efforts as attempts “to break me,” noting that industry figures “did everything they possibly could” to hinder his rise. However, his international success—especially after the hit “Ye”—forced the same industry to recognize his talent, making him one of Africa’s most successful touring artists today.

Burna Boy’s international recognition grew with subsequent albums, especially “Outside” (2018) and “African Giant” (2019), the latter earning him a Grammy nomination. In 2021, his album “Twice as Tall” won the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album, making him the first Nigerian to win back-to-back Grammy nominations in that category. Burna Boy has a day dedicated to him in Boston, USA—March 2—recognizing his impact on global music. In April 2022, Burna Boy became the first Nigerian artist to headline Madison Square Garden in New York.

Burna Boy’s rise to fame has been shaped by both institutional resistance within the music industry and a series of controversies tied to violence and alleged gang associations. Despite these setbacks, he has managed to achieve international acclaim, but his career remains shadowed by his tumultuous past and ongoing disputes.