Burna Boy is no stranger to controversy, and now, he’s shedding even more light on the uphill battles he faced before reaching global stardom.
In a recent episode of the Afropolitan Podcast, Nigerian music executive and Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Obi Asika, pulled back the curtain on Burna’s early career struggles. According to Asika, Burna Boy was constantly sidelined by gatekeepers in the industry—even struggling to land free performance slots.
“This same Burna Boy that’s worth millions today, they were blocking him,” Asika revealed. “He’s from Port Harcourt, not Lagos, so they didn’t want to give him a chance. But look at him now, he’s bypassed everyone and can’t be blocked anymore.”
Burna Boy didn’t hesitate to weigh in on the conversation. Quoting Asika’s remarks on social media, the Grammy winner made it clear that the story barely scratches the surface.
“This is not even half of the story,” he wrote. “They did everything they possibly could to break me. They’re even still trying lol. But all they did was create this unquenchable FIRE that will continue to burn them for eternity.”
This isn’t the first time Burna Boy has called out the Nigerian music industry. He’s previously spoken about being blacklisted by the media and marginalized by key players in the ecosystem, frustrations that likely fuel his often critical take on the Nigerian scene.
The tension between Burna and the local music establishment has long been a subject of debate. While many acknowledge his raw talent and global appeal, others have pointed out his complicated relationship with homegrown media and gatekeepers.
Asika’s candid remarks now provide some added context to what Burna has always maintained, that his rise was anything but easy, and that the system wasn’t built to support artists like him from the start.
