Multiple award winning Nigerian singer, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (born 2 July 1991), known professionally as Burna Boy, is celebrating his birthday today, July 2.
Burna Boy rose to prominence in 2012 after releasing “Like to Party”, the lead single from his debut studio album L.I.F.E (2013).
In 2017, Burna Boy signed with Bad Habit/Atlantic Records in the United States and Warner Music Group internationally. His third studio album Outside marked his major-label debut.
In 2019, he won Best International Act at the 2019 BET Awards, and was announced as an Apple Music Up Next artist. His fourth studio album African Giant was released in July 2019;
Also, it 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.
Damini Ogulu was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. His father managed a welding company and his mother worked as a translator.
Also, his grandfather Benson Idonije once managed Fela Kuti. Burna’s mother Bose Ogulu would later become his manager.
Hence, Ogulu grew up in southern Nigeria and began making his own beats using FruityLoops.
He attended Corona Secondary School in Agbara and relocated to London to further his studies.
Burna Boy describes his music as Afro-fusion, a genre that blends Afrobeat, dancehall riddims, reggae, American rap and R&B.
August Brown of The Los Angeles Times said Burna Boy’s sound is “savvy and modern but undistracted by obvious crossover moves”.