Fela is the only artiste greater than me, Burna Boy declares

31 Oct 2025, 10:15 by Taiwo Oshunloye · TheCable Lifestyle

Burna Boy, the Grammy-winning artiste, has declared the legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti to be the only musician he considers greater than himself.

The ‘City Boy’ hitmaker shared his perspective about the late music icon during a live streaming session with popular American streamer PlaqueBoyMax.

A video from the stream shows Burna Boy enthusiastically singing and dancing to Fela’s classic protest anthem, ‘Coffin For Head of State’.

Speaking with passion about the late Afrobeat icon, he stated, “He is the king. He is the only one greater than me”.

The proclamation comes after Burna Boy previously clarified Fela’s specific influence on his music.

Last month, he acknowledged that Fela’s records were a part of his childhood soundtrack but disclosed that he was not directly “inspired” by them in crafting his own sound.

Born Damini Ogulu, Burna Boy gained fame after releasing ‘Like to Party’, the lead single from his debut album ‘L.I.F.E’ (2013).

Since breaking into the mainstream, he has established himself as one of Africa’s most successful artistes, known for his genre-blending style and chart-topping albums.

He has released a plethora of albums, including ‘L.I.F.E’ (2013), ‘On a Spaceship’ (2015), ‘Outside’ (2018), ‘African Giant’ (2019), ‘Twice As Tall‘ (2020), ‘Love, Damini‘ (2022) and ‘I Told Them‘ (2023).

In 2021, the Afro-fusion artiste won the ‘Best World Music Album’ category at the Grammy Awards for ‘Twice As Tall’.

In July, the singer released his eighth studio album titled ‘No Sign of Weakness’.

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