One of the most well-known Afrobeats musicians is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, better known by his stage name Burna Boy. Burna Boy net worth is estimated at $20 million and regarded as one of the best songwriters and vocalists on the African continent, has lived up to the expectations, amassing a sizable record and a slew of awards.
For his fifth studio album, Twice As Tall, he won the Best World Music Album category at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021. The artist gained notoriety in 2012 after signing with Aristokrat Records and releasing the lead single from his debut album, L.I.F.E, which was released in 2013.
Burna Boy, the creator of Spaceship Entertainment and a three-time winner of the BET Award for International Best Act, was the first Afrobeats performer to sell out Wembley Arena (SSE arena). He is presently contracted to Warner Music Group.
Burna Boy completed what the majority of his contemporaries couldn’t in such a long period of time in only a few short years. He dominated the music industry in 2010 and eventually rose to the top after two years, carving out a niche for himself as one of Nigeria’s quickly growing stars to watch out for.
The vocalist may not be as well-known as Fela Kuti or King Sunny Ade, but he certainly possesses everything necessary to surpass these legendary figures. Burna Boy has overcome many barriers in the music industry thanks to its voice, talent, aptitudes, attraction, and valiant soul.
I assume you need to know more about this young genius who is rapidly rising in the music industry. You’ll learn the actual considerations for Burna Boy at this time.
Table of Contents
Who is Burna Boy?
On July 2, 1991, Burna Boy was born as Damini Ogulu. He was born in Port Harcourt, a coastal city. He is a native of Rivers State and is from both the South-South and Niger Delta of Nigeria.
He has mixed ancestry because Bose Ogulu, a Yoruba woman, is his mother. Samuel Ogulu is the name of his father. Burna Boy hails from a family of incredibly talented people. He is Nissi Ogulu’s older brother, a mechanical engineer, and a vocalist. His sister Romani Ogulu, a scientist and designer, is his older sibling.
Benson Idonijie, a seasoned radio host, music critic, and former band manager of Fela Kuti, is his grandpa. Additionally, his mother was a former Kalakuta Queen, one of Fela Kuti’s female dancers.
His parents brought him up as a Christian, and he spent his formative years in Lagos City and Port Harcourt. Burna Boy’s early musical discovery was aided by coming from a family with a strong artistic heritage, and his parents offered no resistance to him following his love. As a result of their encouragement, he began writing songs while still a high school student.
He realized that his music would need to be distinctive in order to stand out because he had set the goal of being one of the greatest artists to ever live. As a result, he decided to follow the Afrobeats trend and gave himself permission to be affected by music by artists like Bob Marley, Fela Kuti, and King Sunny Ade, among others.
Burna Boy is from an upper-middle-class family, which gave him access to a top-notch education.
At a premier private school in Port Harcourt, he finished creche and primary school. He studied in Agbara, Ogun State, at Corona Secondary School for his middle and high school studies. He moved to the UK to pursue his higher education, earning a degree in media technology at the University of Sussex.
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Burna Boy’s Career
Burna Boy recorded two mixtapes, Burn Notice and Burn Identity, after learning how to make beats with FruityLoops and before joining Aristokrat Records. His 2012 single, “Like To Party,” was published under this label and catapulted him into the spotlight.
L.I.F.E, his debut studio album, was released on August 12th, 2013, and features the lead hit, “Like To Party.” Yawa Dey, Tonight, Always Love You, and Run My Race are just a few of the other top-charting singles on the album.
For The Headies’ 2013 Next Rated Artiste award, Burna Boy was a nominee. Sean Tizzle, a different performer, ultimately won the prize. At the 2014 Nigerian Entertainment Awards, his debut album L.I.F.E was up for Best Album Of The Year.
He left Aristokrat Records in February 2015, two years after he rose to fame as a musician, and started his own record company, Spaceship Entertainment. He has released four further musical endeavors under the name Spaceship that have been commercially successful.
His eagerly awaited second studio album, On A Spaceship, was released on November 25th, 2015. A debut EP, Redemption, which came out in September 2016, served as a strong supporter of the album.
In January 2018, Burna Boy returned with the release of his third album, Outside, which was made available on the 26th of the month. With hits like Ye, Heaven’s Gate, Rock Your Body, Koni Baje, Sekkle Down, and Streets of Africa, the album helped him gain notoriety in the international music arena. When the Nigerian Entertainment Awards were held, the album went on to win Album Of The Year.
He was one among the African musicians selected to contribute to Beyoncé’s album The Lion King: The Gift in 2019. He acquired the distinction of being the only guest artist with their own track on the album by writing and recording the song, Ja Ara E.
That same year, Burna Boy became the first Afrobeats performer to sell out Wembley Arena. Furthermore, he won the coveted African Artiste Of The Year, Listener’s Choice, and Best Male MVP award categories at the 2019 Soundcity MVP Medals Festival, taking home four awards altogether.
On July 26, 2019, to critical acclaim and financial success, he released his fourth studio album, African Giant, which features top-charting singles including Anybody, Killin’ Dem, Gbona, On The Low, and Dangote, among others. The album was a contender for the Best World Music Album Grammy Award at the 2020 ceremony. Angelique Kidjo, a musician from Benin, won the prize instead of him.
Twice As Tall, the fifth studio album by American music legend P. Diddy (Sean Combs) and his mother Bose Ogulu, was started during the pandemic in 2020, when Burna Boy started recording it. The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards’ Best World Music Album category was won by the album, which was released on August 14, 2020. Burna Boy became the first artist from Nigeria to receive back-to-back Grammy nominations, making history in the process.
The African Giant album by Burna Boy, which contains the song Destiny, was played during Joe Biden’s inauguration as president of the United States. The soundtrack album for the movie Queen and Slim featured his song, My Money, My Baby. Ballon d’Or, his most recent track featuring Wizkid, was made public in January 2022.
On July 8, 2022, Burna Boy released his sixth studio album, Love, Damini. The album was preceded by two singles: “Kilometre,” which was made available independently on April 29, 2021; and “Last Last,” which was made available concurrently with the album’s launch on May 13, 2022.
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Burna Boy’s Personal Life
Aside from Wizkid and Davido, Burna Body is recognized as the Giant of African music and one of the top three performers on the continent. On July 2, the musician from Port Harcourt turned 31 years old. As was to be expected, his family, close friends, and management team held a big party to mark the occasion.
At the moment, Bose Ogulu, his mother, is in charge of him. He divides his time between London, where his partner lives, and Lagos. Burna Boy and Stefflon Don, a female artist from the UK, have been dating since 2018. However in 2022 they split up.
His opulent way of life is a clear indication that he is among the richest artists in the nation. He has been highlighted in renowned publications including Vogue, British GQ, and Evening Standard. He enjoys playing football and is a fan of Manchester United of England. He represents the brands Pepsi, Nigerian Breweries PLC, and Chipper Cash in the technology industry.
Controversy
His armed bodyguards allegedly shot and injured two persons at a Lagos nightclub on June 8, 2022. The altercation allegedly started after the wife of one of the victims turned down Burna Boy’s invitation to join him in the club’s VIP area.
Five security officers connected to Burna Boy were detained and accused of attempting to kill. Later, the woman claimed that Burna Boy and his family had used hush money to try to silence her family. The club has not yet made the shooting’s CCTV footage available.
Burna Boy’s Social Media
Due to his significant impact on popular culture, Burna Boy is one of the most popular Nigerian musicians on social media. On Instagram, he has more than 10 million followers, and on Twitter, he has more than 7 million.
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Burna Boy’s Net Worth
Burna Boy’s success in the music business has allowed him to amass a fortune from his career through royalties, commercial partnerships, and live performances. Burna Boy net worth is thought to be around $20 million.
