By referring to Grammy-winning musician Damini “Burna Boy” Ogulu as “the most uninspiring artiste,” Nigerian TV host Lerin Nicodemus sparked a raging dispute inside the music business.
Nicodemus made this contentious remark in response to Burna Boy’s recent remarks that suggested the music of Afrobeats lacked “substance.”
The media personality is criticized for what they consider to be a change in Burna Boy’s stance toward Afrobeats.
She claimed that Burna Boy had ridden the tide of global success and made money off of the popularity of Afrobeats, only to later criticize the genre’s alleged shallowness.
Lerin Nicodemus added that considering that Burna Boy earned his reputation on the principles of Pan-African activism influenced by the renowned Fela Kuti, his activities made him appear hypocritical.
For supposedly failing to put into practice the Pan-African values he frequently alludes to in his music and public demeanor, Nicodemus continued by calling Burna Boy a “fraud” in her statement.
She emphasized that while portraying himself as a supporter of social change, Burna Boy has either been silent about or made fun of social problems throughout periods of socio-political unrest in Nigeria and throughout Africa.
The TV host’s criticism of Burna Boy’s advocacy didn’t end there. Wizkid and Davido, two of his contemporaries who, in Nicodemus’s opinion, aggressively promote Afrobeats and boost emerging musicians, were contrasted unfavorably with him.
She claimed that Burna Boy consistently makes fun of other people when he has the chance, in stark contrast to Wizkid and Davido’s encouraging attitude.
She is dragging Burna Boy aggressively pic.twitter.com/RnG4sA4v0d
— π¬ @πΌπ»π²π·πΌπ―πΉπ²πππ―πΌπ (@OneJoblessBoy) August 27, 2023