Burna Boy Biography, Age, Career, Relationship, Awards, More

BURNA BOY BIOGRAPHY, AGE, CAREER, RELATIONSHIP, EDUCATION, DISCOGRAPHY, VIOLENCE, AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS.

Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (Dah- m ee – n ee   Eh – buh – n – oh – l u – w aa  Oh – g uh- l uu) with the stage name Burna Boy,  is a Grammy-winning singer and songwriter. He is one of the Nigerian-born top music artists, and also a record producer at Spaceship Entertainment and is managed by his mother, Bose Ogulu popularly known as “Mama Burna”.

The Nigerian finest singer is from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria and is renowned for his distinctive blend of Afrobeat, reggae, dancehall, pop, hip-hop and his energetic performances. 

Burna Boy rose to fame in 2012 after releasing “Like to Party”, which later became the lead single from his debut studio album L.I.F.E (2013). Since then he has been releasing hits after hits, topping chart far and wide. His album Twice as Tall achieved the highest debut for an African album on the Billboard 200.^[1]  

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Burna Boy is considered in some quarters to be the Giant Of African music and regarded as among the continent’s top three artists alongside Wizkid and Davido.

Burna Boy has become a global sensation, earning accolades and a dedicated fan base around the world. He has also earned accolades for his work such as the 2019 BET Award for the Best International  Act and the 63rd Grammy Award for Best World Music Album.

Profile Summary

Burna Boy’s Early Life

Burna Boy was born on July 2, 1991, in Ahaoda, Rivers state, into the family of  Samuel Ogulu, his father, who is managing a welding company, and, Bose Ogulu, his mother, a language translator and presently his manager and is known as the force behind his great success.^[2] He is an indigene of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and was raised in a Christian household.

Coming from a family with a rich artistic background, Burna Boy’s passion for music was encouraged by his parents from the early age of 10. His siblings also share in his family’s creative genes, with his older brother, Romani Ogulu being a scientist and designer, and his younger sister, Nissi Ogulu being a singer and mechanical engineer.^[3] 

His maternal grandfather, Benson Idonijie, was a veteran radio broadcaster, and a band manager of the late Fela Kuti. Burna Boy’s mother was also rumored to be a former Kalakuta Queen, one of the female dancers of Fela Kuti.

Oluwa Burna spent his early years in Port Harcourt, before moving to Lagos City with his parents and hence furthered his education over there. He began composing songs when he was still in school using the Fruityloop software he borrowed from his classmates for music production. He was influenced by the likes of Bob Marley, Fela Kuti, and King Sunny Ade, among others.^[3] 

Because of his creative family background, Burna Boy had set his sights on becoming one of the greatest musicians of all time and knew that his music had to be unique to stand out, leading him to the path of Afrobeats.

Presently he has surpassed many milestones in the music industry and is known as the Giant of African music.

Burna Boy’s Age

The Port Harcourt-born singer turned 31 years old on the 2nd Of July 2023. His mom, Bose Ogulu, close friends, and his crew gave him an early birthday party on stage during his show in the Netherlands right before the audience.^[4]

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A post shared by Burna Boy (@burnaboygram)

Burna Boy’s Educational Background

Burna Boy attended Corona Secondary School in Agbara, Ogun State for his Secondary education. He continued his studies in London, England where he pursued media technology at the University of Sussex from 2008 to 2009.^[3]

He did not stop at that, he further went on to study media communications and culture at Oxford Brookes University from 2009 to 2010.^[1] 

 On returning to Port Harcourt, Burna Boy completed a year-long internship at Rhythm 93.7 FM before relocating to Lagos. His music career began shortly after he relocated to Lagos.^[1]

Burna Boy’s Rise to Stardom

Burna Boy got an interest in music when he was 10 years old,^[5] he learned how to produce beats using Fruity Loops he borrowed from his friend. When he relocated to Lagos state from Port Harcourt he started singing properly.^[5]  

His musical career journey includes:^[1]

• In 2011, he recorded two mixtapes, Burn Notice and Burn Identity, before signing to Aristokrat Records. Under this label, he released the hit song, Like To Party, in 2012, which thrust him into the limelight.^[1]
• On August 12, 2013, Burna Boy’s debut studio album, L.I.F.E, was released. The album was a massive success, selling 40,000 copies on its first day of release. But Aristokrat Records sold the marketing rights to Uba Pacific for ₦10 million. ^[1]

The album contained five singles: “Like to Party”, “Tonight”, “Always Love You”, “Run My Race”, and “Yawa Dey” produced by Leriq. It featured, 2face Idibia, M.I Abaga, Timaya, Olamide, Reminisce, and Wizkid, among others.^[6]

The album was ranked 10th on Nigeria Entertainment Today’s list of the 12th Best Albums of 2013. L.I.F.E was also nominated for Best Album of the Year at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart in August 2013.^[1]

• In 2014, Burna Boy left Aristokrat Records and founded Spaceship Entertainment in February 2015, which is his current record label.^[7] 

• On November 25, 2015, He released his second studio album, “On a Spaceship”, as his new record label debut which included the lead single “Pree Me” which debuted on Noisey.^[1]

• On January 19, 2018, Burna Boy was featured on the song “Sunshine Riptide” by American rock band Fall Out Boy, which was part of their album Mania.^[9]

• On January 26, 2018, Burna Boy released his third studio album, “Outside”, which he described as a mixtape. The album boasts guest appearances from English artists J Hus, Lily Allen, and Mabel, and was supported by six singles. Outside was produced by Leriq, Baba Stiltz, and Juls.^[1]

The album gained critical acclaim and was ranked by Nigerian publications as the best Nigerian album in 2018. It won Album of the Year at the 2018 Nigeria Entertainment Awards and debuted at number three on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.^[1] 

• On October 7, 2018, Burna Boy performed a sold-out show at London’s O2 Academy Brixton and was announced as one of Spotify’s new Afro Hub takeover artists. Additionally, he was named YouTube’s Artist on the Rise for three months. One of the singles, “ Ye”  from the album, “Outside,” topped the charts as the biggest song that same year, 2018 according to Nigerian publications.^[1]

• In 2019, Burna Boy performed at the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and won several awards at the Soundcity MVP Awards Festival. On March 21, 2019, He also released a collaborative EP with DJDS called “Steel & Copper”.^[9][10]

• From June through July 2019, Burna Boy won Best International Act at the 2019 BET Awards and was announced as an Apple Music Up Next artist. He also recorded “Ja Ara E” for Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift that same year.^[1]

• On July 26, 2019, he released his fourth studio album, African Giant consisting of six singles.^[2] Burna Boy headlined his African Giant Returns tour to promote it. He also recorded a track called “My Money, My Baby” for Queen & Slim’s soundtrack album and featured on Stormzy’s single “Own It” that same year.^[1] He won an Edison Award in the World Album category for African Giant.  Burna Boy became the first Afrobeats artist to sell out the SSE Arena in November 2019.^[11]

• In August 2020, Burna Boy released his Fifth studio album, “Twice as Tall,” which topped the Billboard World Albums Chart. The album was nominated for Best Global Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.^[2]

He also made history, becoming the first African artist to win the Best International Act award at the BET Awards three times in a row.^[1] 

• On July 8, 2022, Burna Boy marked a significant year in his career with the release of his sixth studio album, “Love, Damini,” following the successful singles “Kilometre” and “Last Last” released earlier. Burna Boy expanded his international presence by holding his inaugural concert in Jamaica on December 18, 2022, at the Jamaica National Stadium.  That same year, he was named the “Best Solo Act in the World” by NME.^[1] 

• In April 2023, Burna Boy made waves with the release of a song titled “Mera Na Ft Sidhu Moose Wala,” paying tribute to Sidhu, and the track, “Mera Na,” gained recognition on various global music charts, including the Billboard Global 200, Canada Hot 100, and New Zealand Hot Singles chart.^[1]
• On June 1, 2023, Burna Boy released the single “Sittin’ On Top Of The World,” which has a resemblance to Brandy’s 1998 hit “Top of the World.”^[12][13]

• On June 10, 2023, Burna Boy became the first African artist to perform at the UEFA Champions League Final Kick-Off Show by Pepsi. He took the stage at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, in front of an impressive crowd of more than 71,412 supporters and a worldwide audience exceeding 700 million people.^[14]
• On August 25, 2023, Burna Boy released his seventh studio Album ” I Told Them…”. The album featured Seyi Vibez, J. Cole, 21 Savage, GZA, and RZA. The album boasts four singles and it’s already topping global charts.^[4] To promote the music, he announced a 16-city Northern American “I Told Them… Tour,” which started on November 3, 2023.

Burna Boy’s Discography

Burna Boy has released about 7 albums, 2 EPs, 39 Singles, and 2 Mixtapes. His most popular songs include: ^[15][16]

His Mixtapes includes:

• Burn Notice (2011)
• Burn Identity (2012)

His Albums include:

• L.I.F.E. (2013)
• On a Spaceship (2015)
• Outside (2018)
• African Giant (2019)
• Twice as Tall (2020)
• Love, Damini (2022)
• I Told Them… (2023)

Some of his Singles include:

• Like to Party (2012)
• Tonight (2012)
• Run My Race (2012)
• Yawa Dey (2013)
• Celebrate (2013)
• Won Da Mo Featuring D’banj (2013)
• Pree Me (2016)
• Ye (2018)
• Gbona (2018)
• Dangote (2019)
• Anybody (2019)
• Odogwu (2020)
• On the Low (2018)
• Killin Dem featuring Zlatan (2018)
• Rock Your Body (2018)

Some of the singles he featured on include:

• Temper with Skales (2016)
• Baba Nla with Larry Gaaga (2018)
• All My Life with Major Lazer  (2018)
• Location with Dave (2019)
• We Must Groove with 2Baba (2020)
• Sunshine Riptide  with Fall Out Boy (2018)
• Gbefun One Time with Skales (2017)

His extended EPs include:

• Redemption (2016)
• Steel and Copper with DJDS (2019)

Burna Boy’s Award and Nominations

Burna Boy has received numerous awards and nominations for his exceptional music and contributions to the industry. Some of his most notable accolades include:^[17][18]

^[17][18]

Burna Boy’s Net Worth

Burna Boy’s success in the music industry has translated into a substantial net worth. His estimated net worth was around $17 million.^[19] 

He is one of the country’s wealthiest artists, and this is evident by his luxurious lifestyle. 

His luxurious lifestyle is evident in his houses and cars. He owns an 8-bedroom mansion at Lekki in Lagos, Nigeria and a fleet of cars including a 2022 Lamborghini Urus Novitec Edition, Burna Boy Range Rover Autobiography, Burna Boy 2013 Ferrari 458 Italia, Burna Boy Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible, Burna Boy Bentley Continental GT, Burna Boy G Wagon, Burna Boy Mercedes-Benz S-Class.^[20]

He is a brand ambassador of Pepsi, Nigerian Breweries PLC and tech company, Chipper Cash.^[3]

Apart from his music career streaming royalties and performances on concerts, he also makes his income from these several endorsement deals. 

Who is Burna Boy’s Manager?

Burna Boy’s Manager is His mother, Bose Ogulu, who is currently managing his music career. She is considered a major force in his musical journey. She is always seen with him at concerts and several other events.

Burna Boy’s Girlfriend

In May 2016, Burna Boy’s alleged baby mama, Uju Stella Johnson, accused him of abandoning her and their baby after she became pregnant for him in May 2016.

However, Burna Boy admitted to sleeping with her once but denied claims that he got her pregnant. Burna Boy is currently not married and does not have any children of his own.^[20]

In 2018, Burna Boy got into a romantic relationship with UK female artist Stefflon Don.^[3] He usually shuttles his time between Lagos and London, where his girlfriend resides.

However, in 2022, he announced their break up, rumour has it that his girlfriend cheated.^[1] 

Coincidently, he released his sixth studio album, “Love, Damini” which featured a break-up single, “Last Last” that same year, a few months after announcing their break up. His fans assumed that he sang the song because of the break-up, which was still fresh at the time.

Burna Boy Violent Incidents

On June 8, 2022, an unfortunate incident occurred when Burna Boy’s security team allegedly shot and injured two individuals at a Lagos nightclub. 

The altercation reportedly started when one of the victims declined an invitation to join Burna Boy in the VIP section. 

This incident led to the arrest and attempted murder charges against five security guards linked to Burna Boy, and the victim’s spouse later accused the singer and his family of attempting to silence them with monetary offers. 

Notably, as of November 2023, the nightclub had not released CCTV footage of the incident.^[1]

Burna Boy’s Social Media Presence

Burna Boy has surpassed a great fan base both online and offline. He is active on social media with over 15.6 million followers on Instagram and over 5 million followers on X.

• Instagram: Burnaboygram
• X: Burnaboy
• YouTube: Burna Boy
• Tiktok: Burnaboyofficial

References

1.       “Burna Boy.” Wikipedia. Retrieved 6 November, 2023.

2.      “Burna Biography.” Todays Profile. Retrieved 6 November, 2023.

3.      “Burna Boy.”  Biography Web. Retrieved 6 November, 2023.

4.  “@Burnaboygram”. Instagram. 6 November, 2023.

5.      Okolorji John Kennedy. “Burna Biography.” Wikilifeng. Retrieved 6 November, 2023.

6.       Iwar, Sute (23 August 2013). “Burna Boy’s Album Debut ‘L.I.F.E'”.  OkayAfrica.  Retrieved 6 November 2023.

7.      “Burnaboy leaves Aristokrat Records”. TheCable. 24 July 2014.  Retrieved 6 November, 2023.

8.      Orubo, Daniel (19 January 2018). “Listen To Burna Boy Kill It On Fall Out Boy’s ‘Sunshine Riptide'”. Konbini Nigeria.  Retrieved 6 November 2023.

9.      Adekunle (3 January 2019). “Burna Boy, Mr Eazi to make Coachella debut”. Vanguard News Nigeria. Retrieved 6 November, 2023.

10.  Adekunle (6 January 2019). “Soundcity MVP: Burna Boy wins African Artist of the Year”. Vanguard News Nigeria. Retrieved 6 November, 2023.

11.   “Burna Boy first afrobeat star to sell out at Wembley Arena – P.M. News”. Retrieved 6 November 2023.

12.  “Burna Boy – Sitting’ On Top Of The World”. Spotify. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 6 November, 2023.
13. Hussey, Allison (1 June 2023). “Burna Boy Shares New Song “Sittin’ on Top of the World”: Listen”. Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 November, 2023.
14. “Burna Boy to perform at the 2023 UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show by Pepsi”. UEFA. 16 March 2023. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 6 November, 2023.

15.  “Burna Boy discography.” Wikipedia. Retrieved 6 November, 2023.

16. “Burna Boy”. Apple Music. Retrieved 7 November.
17. “List of Award and Nomination Recieved by Burna Boy”. Wikipedia. Retrieved 7 November.
18. “Burna Boy – Awards”. IMDb. Retrieved 7 November.
19. Scholastica Otiende. Peris Walubengo. (September 1, 2023). “Top 30 richest musicians in Nigeria and their net worth as of 2023”. Legit.ng. Retrieved 7 November, 2023.
20. “Burna Boy Net Worth, Cars, House and Biography”. June 19, 2023. Carmart. Retrieved 7 November, 2023.

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