boohooMAN is excited to share with you our latest news that we have collaborated with Nigerian music star Burna Boy for our latest edit of menswear! Burna Boy is an African Giant when it comes to both music and fashion. With that in mind, here’s a rundown of everything you need to know about Burna Boy, who is hailed as one of the continent’s biggest music stars.
The collaborative collection includes a variety of trend-forward tie-dye, and unique acid washes. Diversifying the product offering are bold distinct colours such as vibrant green, an ode to the Nigerian flag. The entire collection offers a large range from distressed denim, bold and bright sweat sets, and unique patchwork plaid.
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Burna Boy
Creatively led by Burna Boy, the full collection boasts simple silhouettes, graphic tees and fresh, bright colour palettes. From matching sets and varsity bombers, and accessories, the custom-created ‘B’ logo is a staple throughout the collection. Selected lines are available in sizes S – 5XL.
CHECK OUT THE boohooMAN x BURNA BOY COLLECTION NOW!
Contents
- Who is Burna Boy?
- Burna Boy’s global success
- How it all began
- Fela Kuti, Burna Boy’s hero and inspiration
- Burna Boy: the fashion icon
- A potted history of Burna Boy’s music
Who Is Burna Boy?
Burna Boy was born Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria on 2 July 1991. Growing up in Southern Nigeria, he sings in a mix of Yoruba, Igbo, and pidgin English for his Afro-fusion music – that’s a mix of Afrobeats and other genres, including dancehall and hip-hop if you don’t know.
Burna Boy’s Global Success
Burna Boy isn’t yet 30, but he’s released five studio albums, two mixtapes, and two EPs, and he’s succeeded in making the Afrobeats sound global. He’s collaborated with a myriad of musicians from US rappers Future, YG, and Naughty by Nature to singers Lily Allen, Ed Sheeran, Jorja Smith, and J Hus. He’s even provided a track for Beyonce’s smash-hit Lion King-inspired soundtrack, The Lion King: The Gift.
In 2020, Burna Boy has won Song of the Year for Killin Dem (featuring Zlatan), African Artist of the Year, and Best Male MVP at the Soundcity MVP Awards Festival. Further, for the second year running, Burna Boy has won Best International Act at the 2020 BET Awards.
Also this year, Burna Boy reached his highest position so far on the Rolling Stone Artists 500 Chart after pulling in 14.8 million streams between 14 August and 20 August in the U.S. Burna Boy landed at Number 128 on the Chart following the release of his fifth studio album, Twice as Tall. The Chart ranks the most streamed artists of the week in the United States across an artist’s entire catalogue. Wow.
So, how did it all start for Burna Boy, what’s life like for him, and what’s his look?
How It All Began
Burna Boy says he always knew he would be a star. As a toddler, he would dance and sing when his parents took him out to eat in restaurants. As a rebellious teenager, he used to steal his dad’s Mitsubishi Galant and drive around Port Harcourt with his friends. Luckily, he got into music, which must have been a welcome distraction for him. He became a fan of US rappers, including Naughty by Nature and Busta Rhymes, while at the same time, he enjoyed listening to the dancehall of Buju Banton.
In the early 2010s, Burna Boy came to London, and like his hero Fela Kuti, he got just what he needed: an education in music.
Fela Kuti, Burna Boy’s Hero and Inspiration
Fela Anikulapo Kuti was a Nigerian singer-songwriter, musician, and pioneer of the Afrobeat music genre. Burna Boy’s very own grandfather once managed the performer. Fela Kuti was also a Pan Africanist. Pan Africanism is a belief in strengthening the bonds of solidarity between people of African descent, and that African people share a common history and a common destiny.
Burna Boy has a tattoo of Fela Kuti on his left forearm, and tattoos cover most of Burna Boy’s upper body, arms and hands. He also has the Nigerian coat of arms on his shoulder and the phrase Omo Naija – child of Nigeria – above it.
Burna Boy: The Fashion Icon
We think the tattoos add to Burna Boy’s aesthetic. His look often includes thick gold or silver chains around his neck, chunky rings, and gold and jewel-encrusted teeth. But he’s not afraid to rock the softer shades of fashion too! For his GQ Style feature in summer 2020, Burna Boy wore a Louis Vuitton floral two-piece consisting of shirt and trousers. The pattern features sunflowers, poppies, and orange blooms against white panels, jade green shades, and blue sky and white clouds. The glittering silver Christian Louboutin shoes finish off the ensemble perfectly.
Bolder colour choices include the red suit from Weiz Dhurm Franklyn that Burna Boy wore in August 2020 for a Guardian Weekend Feature. White leaves are embroidered on the jacket and look absolutely stunning as they wind their way down the lapels and sleeves, and across the jacket. Super stylish.
You can’t help but focus on how Burna Boy accessorises with jewellery when admiring his outfits though…
A Potted History of Burna Boy’s Music
Burna Boy’s debut studio album, L.I.F.E (Leaving an Impact for Eternity), was released on 12 August 2013 and produced entirely by Leriq, a Nigerian record producer and songwriter. It won Best Album of the Year at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards, and it peaked at number seven on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. Next came On a Spaceship on 25 November 2015, followed by a seven-track EP called Redemption in September 2016.
Burna Boy’s third studio album, Outside, was released on 26 January 2018 and was ranked by Pulse Nigeria and Nigerian Entertainment Today as the best Nigerian album of 2018. The album won Album of the Year at the 2018 Nigeria Entertainment Awards and debuted at number three on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.
On 21 March 2019, Burna Boy released a four-track collaborative EP called Steel and Copper with American duo, DJDS, and his fourth studio album, African Giant, followed on 26 July 2019. African Giant won Album of the Year at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards and was nominated for Best World Music Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. Also, in 2019, Burna Boy appeared alongside Mr Eazi at Coachella, won Best International Act at the 2019 BET Awards, and was announced as an Apple Music Up Next artist.
Twice as Tall, Burna Boy’s fifth studio album, was released on 14 August 2020 and debuted at number 54 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. The album is produced by Diddy and one very important female: Mama Burna Bose Ogulu, Burna Boy’s mum.
Burna Boy is dating British R&B star, Stefflon Don, who he met at a gig in Ghana in 2018. He’s moved on a bit from stealing his dad’s Mitsubishi Galant. Now he has a fleet of cars including a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, a Bentley, a Range Rover, and a Ferrari 458.
