A decade after breaking out with L.I.F.E., Burna Boy has established himself as the ultimate megastar of not only the Afrobeat genre, but of African music as a whole. Four Grammy nominations, including Best Melodic Rap Performance for a track with 21 Savage, reconfirmed that status last week. The physically chiseled, deep-voiced grandson of journalist and original Fela Kuti manager Benson Idonije has also collab’d with Ed Sheeran, Khalid, Justin Bieber, and most effectively, UK rapper Dave. Footage from his current I Told Them tour sees Burna commanding stadiums with a 10-piece band, plus backup dancers.
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— Kevin Curtin