Nigerian singer, Damini Ebunlola Ogulu otherwise known as Burna Boy appears on the cover of GQ magazine latest issue where he rocked a $5000 jacket by Yohji Yamamoto, while providing context for some of his previous comment as well as a vision for the future that included more unity for the African continent — a philosophy he espouses in his music. “It’s all just very f*cked-up and twisted, and I wish to God that it wasn’t so, but it is, and all I can do is try and do my part to change it, no matter how small that part is,” he says in response to the xenophobia and the tension between Nigerians and South Africans.
“It’s almost as if the oppressors have won when the oppressed start acting like this. Do you understand? My family is in Africa, which is why you will hear me speaking on the South Africa issue, which is why it strikes a nerve. It’s almost like having your whole body, and your hand is not working. That’s what it feels like… Everybody should wake the f*ck up. South Africa and the whole of Africa needs to wake the f*ck up.”
When asked about how he feels being compared to Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the Afrobeat legend who was once managed by Burna’s grandfather who also helped him form his pioneer band, he says, “I don’t think anybody in their right mind would compare me to Fela. Fela is my inspiration and my childhood hero, so if you think comparing me to Fela is honorable, it’s actually not. It actually makes me feel weird. Fela was Fela, and if it wasn’t for Fela, there probably wouldn’t be any me, so I don’t understand the comparison.”
The Afrobeat singer also talks about his early journey into the music industry and the challenges that followed and still follow, his dreams of performing in a sold-out stadium in China, and his even bigger dreams conquering the world with his sound.
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