The Grammy-award-winning act is unfazed by being regarded as a newcomer in the music industry; he sees it as an advantage.
Heavyweight Nigerian singer, songwriter, and performer Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, has finally spoken about being named “new cat” in the music industry.
The Grammy-award-winning act, whose first studio album L.I.F.E. was released as far back as 2013, was the underdog in the Nigerian music scene for a long time, and the recent comments made by award-winning singer and colleague Davido sparked a frenzy.
In an interview with Brut Afrique, Davido opened up about the first two Nigerian artists that put the Afrobeat sound on the global music map. Citing himself and Wizkid as the pioneers of the Afrobeats to the World movement, he said that the ‘new cats, such as Burna Boy, Rema, Asake, and many more, have taken the wave to the next level.
The comment led to a debate on social media, as some asked if Burna should be classified as a ‘new cat. The Davido comment even got a response from Burna Boy’s sister, Nissi, but the elder brother himself kept silent about it.
The Afro-fusion superstar, who recently made history after he sold out the 60,000-capacity London Stadium and became the first African artist to headline a stadium concert in the UK, also went out to sell out the 41,000-capacity Citi Field stadium in New York.
With the historic London show now being broadcast to Apple Music users in over 165 countries, Burna Boy, in an interview with Ebro Darden to preview the live performance, spoke for the first time about the “new cat” conversation.
According to Burna, being perceived as a newbie in the industry gives him more time to function, and the narrative gives him longevity as he is perceived as a newcomer.