One thing about America is Americans are real people. So it's like, if they see that you're real, this is real, then they're gonna relate to it.
— Burna Boy
The UK has no input in Afrobeat. Let me make myself very clear. The UK has no influence in the creation or naming or anything that has to do with Afrobeat' roots or beginnings.
At the end of the day, everything you chase will run.
When something happens in Africa, an artist will sing about it and stuff. We have all the records; we have everything. Free Mandela records and all that.
My dad used to play reggae and Afrobeats. Every Sunday, we used to have these records, vinyls. And he would just play all of them - Super Cat, Ninja Man, Buju Banton.
Outside' was more of a personal project. This, the 'African Giant', is more of an African project.
You are only as rich as where you come from, and Nigeria has a lot of poverty.
Most Americans don't even understand what I'm saying in my records, but they pick up on the vibe, the vibration.
I'm Nigerian. I'm African. I have a lot to say. Apart from what I say, though, is the feeling. People can relate to that feeling. It's a reciprocal relationship. They feed off me and I feed off them.
Pressure is a man that is wondering how he's going to feed his five kids today.
Funny enough, you know who I used to really like in Lion King? It was Scar.
I'm 28 years old. In my country, that's considered very young. It's almost like the youth don't matter to the up-and-ups.
To be honest I don't really feel like I'm a part of the industry. I don't get awards because the powers that be don't really like me. I'm not like everyone else, I won't do what everyone else does.
In 2012, I dropped a song called 'Like To Party,' and that just took me all over the world.
For me, every project is different, and it serves a different purpose.
Way I see it, everyone plays their own role in the world, and no role is more important than the other.
Fall Out Boy used to be my favorite rock band.
I would find myself being inspired by things that I've heard as a kid: Nigerian music or African music, some French music or some Jamaican music. When it's time for music to be made, it's almost like my ancestors just come into me and then it's them.
If I had children, as soon as I have them, I'm teaching them everything I know. I don't want to feed you fairytales. Fairytales are nice. But they come to an end, and then you have to face reality.
Going onstage - that's my joy. You know like when you're in school and you're just waiting for the bell to go off so you can leave the class and go and play outside? That's me in life.
My genre of music is called Afro-Fusion because I fuse different types of music into a ball.
I don't plan stuff. I don't believe in planning. I just believe in doing your best at what you do best at all times and everything else is everything else. Everything else is a plus.
I can guarantee you that at least 90% of my people that are my age group in Nigeria - who are considered the youth - had no clue about how Nigeria, the real origins of Nigeria.
I'm just a human whose skill is making music.
I'm from the south side of Nigeria, a place called Port Harcourt City... No one ever makes it out of there. I wanted to put it on the map.
