Nigeria afro-fusion artiste, Burna Boy, is the current subject of a heated debate on social media after the singer declared himself as the best musician since the death of the music legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
The self-acclaimed African Giant made this statement through his Twitter page, while lamenting that the industry has a very high level of hypocrisy.
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He explained in one of his tweets that “he is a man of his own” and that nobody in the music industry paved the way for him to where he is right now.
Burna Boy on his Twitter page wrote;
I always knew I am THE BEST. Everyone you think is the best knows I’m the best since Fela Kuti. But Timaya told me something a long time ago that made me not care about being the best. The World can do without the Best, the world will still spin regardless.
NOBODY paved shit for me. Everybody dey find them own. I have been out here if you knew the way they made us look weak by begging and paying the western world to like us you will see that no table was set and I’m the one that brought you the Respect you currently enjoy.”
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See the tweet below:
The same people that wish you the best to your face are the same people that hope and pray you Fail so that they can feel better about themselves. That’s just Life. That’s why complements mean nothing to me cuz hate, Jealousy and “it shoul have been me” are sugar coated by them
— Burna Boy (@burnaboy) February 12, 2020
FACT! I always knew I was and I am THE BEST. Everyone you think is the best KNOWS I’m BEST since Fela Kuti. But @timayatimaya told me something a long time ago that made me not care about being the best. “The World can do without the Best” the world will still spin regardless.
— Burna Boy (@burnaboy) February 12, 2020
Lol. NOBODY paved shit for me. Everybody dey find them own. I bin Out here, if you knew the way they made us look weak by begging and paying the western world to like us you will see that no table was set and I’m the one that brought you the Respect you currently enjoy. https://t.co/oPS1HjPrEl
— Burna Boy (@burnaboy) February 12, 2020
His tweets has since Wednesday night evoked mixed reactions from many Nigerians on micro-blogging social platform, Twitter, where they expressed their varying thoughts about Burna Boy‘s statement.
See mixed reactions below:
No one is talking about Don Jazzy , Reminisce, Olamide , No one is talking about Psquare , Dbanj , Davido , Banky W , Wizkid , Simi etc
These are the people that built the Nigerian music industry for me & have been consistent , I was stanning Burna on something else entirely .
— Volqx (@volqx) February 12, 2020
Burna Boy: I don’t care about streams and views because they’re fake
Burna: I’m so happy to hit 100m streams..
Burna: Foreign Recognition is Scam and slavery..
Burna: I’m so happy to be recognized for Grammy…
Burna: Nobody paved way for me..
Please Collect his phone now!!
— Trouble Maker 😒(G.O). (@ObongRoviel) February 12, 2020
Wizkid spent almost 4 months in the US last year. Making good music with the powerhouses of Hollywood.
Davido also have been consistent matching records set by the likes of 2face, Psquare and D’banj.
Now we have Burna Boy(Van Dijk) “ 2 season wonder” who thinks he is the Best!
— Zoba (@Utdzoba) February 12, 2020
This whole Burna boy thing just made me understand how the people in jesus’s time must have felt when he said he’s the son of God when there were prophets before him.
— Sir Vage 🙄 (@sammie_chika) February 13, 2020
Imagine Burna boy won Grammy.. we all won’t even be able to tweet. Because he will ask us if we get Grammys
.
P.S: I did not tweet this. I was held hostage to tweet this.— Dr PamPam | Omo Iya Ologi (@UnclePamilerin) February 12, 2020
Burna: I’m the best, even your best knows it, nobody paved nothing for me, I did it all by myself and brought the western recognition to Africa alone!!! Respect your king
2face, Dbanj, psquare, wizkid, Davido, olamide : https://t.co/vGYo4ZXKrP
— Swift Godwin (@SwiftGodwin) February 13, 2020
I read Burna boy Tweet, he said what he said, just Incase you don’t know, I am the number one influencer on this app, I said what I said… 🏃♂️🏃♂️
— Funke Fatai ❤️ #Bbnaija (@phunky___) February 13, 2020
Welcome new followers, I probably mind my business till it involves those i support like Burna Boy, DavidO, Kanye West, Messi, Ighalo, Man United. Over the years i have grown to love those listed and will always support them. I could be biased towards them.
— Sally Suleiman (@is_salsu) February 13, 2020
Burna Boy: I paved the way
Wizkid, Davido, D’banj , 2face, Olamide, Psquare etc. pic.twitter.com/9VMIWcdd1g
— 🇳🇬 D.U.C.E🗣 (@mazi_duce) February 13, 2020
Achebe put it this way; “after eating a heavy meal, Nwanza the bird decided to challenge his chi to a wrestling match”.
Of course, his “chi” completely floored him.
That’s the same way I feel about Burna Boy. It is clear to even the blind that others paved the way for him.
— Onye Nkuzi (@cchukudebelu) February 12, 2020
Been getting messages from people who know i am a die hard fan of Burna Boy asking me my opinion. You know what? Let Burna be Burna, he can’t bend to be what you want him to be. Call it arrogance or whatever. He has his right to his opinion. pic.twitter.com/f1pi16Wm15
— Sally Suleiman (@is_salsu) February 13, 2020
I respect Burna and love his music but saying nobody paved way for him disrespectful to the likes of 2face, Psquare, D’banj (Mo’hits crew) and all other musicians especially Wizkid and Davido that had worked tirelessly to put not just Nigerian But Africa music where it is today.
— Samuel Mbah (@__Mbah) February 13, 2020
All I know is Burna boy didn’t need any international collaboration to become a thing in the western world. Nobody paved anything for him, he has earned his bragging rights.
Let him be proud in his achievements, you can keep your faux humility to yourselves.
— Pastor Ola ✨ (@Biisi96) February 13, 2020
We are forgetting how Wizkid didn’t attend the BET because they give awards to artist outside the main event (10 am before the main events at the back stage)
He stood up and things changed, yet Burna Boy is saying rubbish.
Burna Boy, Your father!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— PorPorRee 💫 (@VEJ0ME) February 13, 2020
Pride goes before a fall is all I can say.