Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu MFR[5] (born 2 July 1991),[1] known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, performer and record producer.

[8] In 2019, Burna Boy won Best International Act at the BET Awards and was named an Apple Music Up Next artist.

[13] In October 2022, Burna Boy was awarded the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic plaque for his achievements in music.

[25][26] Burna Boy's debut studio album, L.I.F.E, was released on 12 August 2013, serving as the follow-up to his second mixtape Burn Identity (2011).

Outside was supported by six singles: "Rock Your Body", "Streets of Africa", "Koni Baje", "Sekkle Down", "Heaven's Gate" and "Ye".

Its production was handled by Leriq, Baba Stiltz, Jae 5, Juls, Chopstix, Steel Banglez, Fred Gibson, Phantom, and FTSE.

[43] A day prior to the show, he held a pop-up event at Red by Little Farm and sold limited boxes of his Space Puffs cereal, as well as custom notepads, lighters, and graphic tee-shirts.

[46] On 3 January 2019, Burna Boy was announced alongside Mr Eazi as one of the artists performing at the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

[48] On 21 March 2019, Burna Boy released a 4-track collaborative EP with Los Angeles-based electronic duo DJDS, titled Steel & Copper.

[54] He recorded "Ja Ara E" (Yoruba: "wise up" or "use your head") for Beyoncé's The Lion King: The Gift and was the only guest artist with their own track on the soundtrack album.

[72] On 19 March 2021, Burna Boy was featured on Canadian singer Justin Bieber's song "Loved by You", a track from his sixth studio album, Justice.

[73] On 17 September 2021, he was featured on American singer-songwriter Jon Bellion's single "I Feel It", which marked the first musical collaboration between the two, but the latter co-wrote "Loved by You" with Justin Bieber.

[74] On 4 June 2022, Burna Boy performed at the Belgravia Sports Stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he allegedly refused money to wear a ZANU-PF scarf as an endorsement of the Mnangagwa administration.

[80][81][82][83] On 10 June 2023, Burna Boy became the first artist from Africa to perform at the UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show by Pepsi.

The singer took the stage at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, in front of more than 71,412 supporters and an audience of over 700 million people.

[94][95][96] In November 2024, his popular song "Higher" was nominated for Best African Music Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, which will be held in February 2025 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

[55][103][104] August Brown of the Los Angeles Times describes Burna Boy's sound as "savvy and modern but undistracted by obvious crossover moves".

[105] Kittitian dancehall artist Byron Messia described him as an incredibly talented lyricist who does not write down lyrics or waste time in the studio to create a song.

[112] Talent manager Kim Moore told CNN that "Burna Boy's (Grammy) win will inspire other African artistes to create projects that appeal to global audiences.

Rolling Stone described him as a Nigerian cultural giant, who has become the ambassador of Afrobeats as a global movement, that can feel equally at home by climbing the European charts and maintaining a subtle emotional connection with past African genres like highlife.

"[116] Lloyd Bradley of The Guardian opined that Twice As Tall positions African music in the 21st century by using contemporary sounds for traditional melodies and rhythms.

[119] Lawrence Burney of Vulture has argued that Burna Boy's stylistic presentation and convincing interpretation of hip hop and dancehall won him more credibility and commercial success in the U.S. than his Naija contemporaries such as Davido and Wizkid received.

"[120] African artist Angélique Kidjo dedicated her Grammy win to Burna Boy, for changing the global perception of Africa and its music.

[121] Aniefiok Ekpoudom of The Guardian said "Burna Boy is on a mission to remind Africans everywhere about their roots in the continent, and Afrobeats is his tool".

[122] On 8 June 2022, Burna Boy's armed security escorts allegedly shot and wounded two people at a nightclub in Lagos.

However, his previous statements condemning alleged xenophobic attacks in South Africa and expressing hesitance to visit the country led to public criticism.

[130] In response, AKA expressed disappointment, emphasizing South Africa's prior support for Burna Boy’s career before his international success, and called for an apology.

The dispute gained further attention when Burna Boy’s planned performance at the 'Africans Unite' concert reignited public pressure for him to apologize.

[135] In his fourth studio album African Giant, he probes Nigeria’s turbulent history by breaking down the narratives that have surrounded it since it gained independence.

[136] Songs like “Another Story” condemn the negative impact of the Royal Niger Company in imposing colonial rule on Nigeria, “Collateral Damage” criticises the cowardice of Nigerians in not confronting their oppressors while “Wetin Man Go Do” laments the suffering of the masses.