In 2012, Burna Boy released Like To Party, the LeriQ-produced track which shot him to the limelight, and laid the foundation for his debut album L.I.F.E released in 2013. Burna Boy, who was one of the fastest-rising music stars of the early 2010s, has since made a name for himself in the music industry – locally and internationally. With his unique Afro-fusion style of music, incorporating genres like pop, reggae, and dancehall, The African Giant is famed for his mastery of music, frequently sampling musical greats like Fela Kuti, Angélique Kidjo, Toni Braxton, and even the legendary Michael Jackson.
Throughout Burna’s music career, one thing that stands out is his versatility. After digging through Burna Boy’s hit-laden discography we’ve compiled a list of 10 songs that embody The African Giant.
Ye
When Kanye West’s eight studio album Ye dropped in 2018, no one expected that fans searching for the album would stumble on Burna Boy’s same-named track released in the same year. The ensuing mixup resulted in a staggering 200% spike in streams for Burna Boy’s Ye, the mellow record from the Outside album which contained Burna Boy’s musings about his life and career.
Killin Dem ft. Zlatan
Unquestionably one of Burna Boy’s biggest anthems, Killin Dem remains a party banger to this day. Accompanied by Zlatan’s signature Zanku dance, Killin Dem is one collaboration nobody saw coming, but absolutely needed the second it dropped.
Run My Race
Heavily influenced by street pop, Run My Race is another of Burna Boy’s momentous anthems. He brashly announces his success and criticizes fair-weather friends who were absent during his struggle days and want to bask in the limelight with him now. He admonishes his watchers not to “run his race with him,” implying he was now on a different level than then.
Heaven’s Gate ft. Lily Allen
With lyrics that are nothing like the song title, Heaven’s Gate is Burna Boy’s brilliant reggae/drill/rap experiment. The fluidity with which he bounces from style to style can only be pulled off by Burna Boy. In this musical masterpiece, we are introduced to Burna the roadman, who threatens to send a snake disguised as a friend knocking on heaven’s gate.
Pree Me
Easily one of Burna Boy’s most emotional songs, Pree Me contains a difficult conversation about friends who have turned enemies and how much more Burna Boy has to be on his guard, most likely following his entry into stardom. Pree, a Jamaican-Patois slang means to watch, implying that people may have switched sides on The African Giant, but they still haven’t taken their eyes off of him.
Like To Party
A Burna Boy essential list would be incomplete without the mention of Like To Party. Burna Boy’s 2012 hit song was instrumental in defining his music style and showcasing his prowess. His delivery on Like To Party is effortless and cool, in a manner that is synonymous to one confident in his craft.
Yawa Dey
Yawa Dey remains one of Burna Boy’s most exceptionally delivered tracks, where he pulls off a flawless Afro-Reggae fusion reminiscent of the Galala/Ghetto music era of the 90s. In Yawa Dey, Burna talks about being on his “ones” and doing his thing while trying to make it in the music industry. He also addresses the hardship faced by Nigerians on a daily – If you never see landlord, yawa dey; You dey for house, you see your family dem never chop, yawa dey o.
23
23 is Burna Boys’ tenth song on his Twice As Tall album. Inspired by NBA legend Michael Jordan, Burna Boy’s 23 is a tale of the road to success and how difficult it is to get there. Burna Boy is proud of himself on 23, and in the official music video, he includes a snippet of his Grammy-winning moment. The song title 23 is a reference to Michael Jordan’s jersey number while he played for the Chicago Bulls.
Gba
Released in 2017, Gba is Burna Boys’ prophetic declaration of his stardom. He is confident that even though he may not be generally accepted at the moment, it’ll only be a matter of time before he leaves an indelible mark on the sands of Nigerian music. Burna Boy chastises the self-righteous in Gba and reminds them that he can switch up on them at any time.
Anybody
Anybody is one of the many bangers from Burna’s African Giant album. Burna Boy sends a message out about his status change – I been dey answer them yes sir,now na me dem dey answer yes sir, and ponders about how people want to reap where they have not sown – you wan chop when you never work. Anybody was featured on the popular American TV series, Ballers and did so well that it was performed on multiple tours by Burna Boy.