Nigerian Singer, Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy has been featured in the latest issue of International men’s magazine, GQ.
According to Nigerian-American entertainment journalist Lola Ogunnaike, she had been warned that Burna isn’t a fan of Interview, and he didn’t prove her wrong.
“Initially his answers are terse, his eye contact scarce, his wariness palpable. Baus and Burna’s music-label publicist, who have insisted on being present throughout our entire discussion, shift awkwardly in their seats. If Burna’s intention is to make us all uncomfortable, he has succeeded,” Lola Ogunnaike wrote about Burna Boy’s demeanor during the interview.
During his interview which is titled “Burna boy, Global Giant”, he revealed that he does not like sitting for interviews because it makes him uncomfortable.
He said: “It’s not that I hate interviews, “It’s just that I find them stressful. I find them more stressful than going on tour.”
“Because most of the questions you all ask are very direct, simple questions. But then I answer simply, and then you’re waiting for the rest, like there’s supposed to be a rest of the answer when there really isn’t.”
Read also: South African President calls for Unity to Confront Challenges
He revealed that he was on tour in Paris when “My uncle ran into my hotel room screaming that I was nominated. We were all so happy,” while speaking about how he received the news that he was nominated for a Grammy.
When asked about Fela Kuti, he said: “Fela is my inspiration and my childhood hero, so if you think comparing me to Fela is honourable, it’s actually not. It actually makes me feel weird. Fela was Fela, and if it wasn’t for Fela, there probably wouldn’t be any me, so I don’t understand the comparison.”
While also addressing the comments he made last year about refusing to perform in South Africa following a spate of xenophobic attacks in the country, which led to the cancellation of the ‘Africans Unite’ concert, he said: “It’s all just very fucked-up and twisted, and I wish to God that it wasn’t so, but it is, and all I can do is try and do my part to change it, no matter how small that part is. It’s almost as if the oppressors have won when the oppressed start acting like this.
“My family is Africa, which is why you will hear me speaking on the South Africa issue, which is why it strikes a nerve. It’s almost like having your whole body, and your hand is not working. That’s what it feels like.
“There’s too much going on in the world for everybody to just care about being fucking rich and fucking Instagram-clouded; everybody can’t be that. The more of that there is, the more the world suffers, and what’s important just goes down the drain and the downward spiral continues. It’s even accelerated. Now is the time. Everybody should wake the fuck up. South Africa and the whole of Africa needs to wake the fuck up.”
The photographs for the magazine were all taken in Lagos, Nigeria and he was styled by a fellow Nigerian, Mobolaji Dawodu.
See photos below:
