“Fela Is the Only One Greater Than Me” – Burna Boy Destroys Big Three Debate

The internet nearly stopped breathing when Burna Boy, seated casually on Twitch streamer PlayboyMax’s channel, made a bold declaration while Fela Kuti’s 1997 classic “Coffin For Head of State” was playing in the background. 

The Port Harcourt-born superstar, visibly moved by the song, mouthed every word of the song as though in a trance. 

Then came the bold declaration from the African Giant. 

While Playboymax admitted he had no idea of what Fela’s lyrics meant, Burna Boy chimed in: “He is King! He is the only one greater than me,” he declared, anointing the late Afrobeat pioneer as supreme, while subtly crowning himself the next in line. 

Within seconds, clips of that moment spread across social media like wildfire, igniting reactions from fans.

In one sentence, the self-proclaimed “African Giant” had ripped open the long-standing “Big Three” debate: the fan-fuelled rivalry between Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido. And with his usual swagger, the Grammy winner placed himself far above it.

His confidence, for better or worse, is backed by receipts.

Burna has been performing at stadiums across Europe and America, headlining Glastonbury, selling out the London Stadium, and becoming the first African artist to do so.

For once, this wasn’t arrogance talking. It was reverence.

Fela Kuti is not just a name to Burna Boy. He is the foundation of the genre that the Grammy winner has taken global.

The 34-year-old singer, widely acknowledged for his prolific performances, has never hidden his admiration for Fela. His grandfather, Benson Idinoje, once managed Fela’s band members. 

His Afro-fusion sound is, in essence, a modern child of Fela’s rebellion.

But on that Twitch stream, Burna’s declaration carried something deeper. 

It wasn’t mere praise. It was a statement of lineage and a stern reminder of Fela Kuti’s greatness.

But some fans on X(formerly Twitter) weren’t having it.

One user @AriesEsteem wrote; “See as the person behind him tear laugh as he talk am”

@Frontweal commented: “He's gradually coming back to reality, he had once claimed self-made glory and used slur words to qualify felt, so, give him time, he's going to bow to wizzy.”

One other user @Olamide17630212 wrote: “Any king that constantly remind people that he's king is not a real king.”

Another user @Favoured990 quipped: “Hallucination real true true”

Meanwhile, several other users shared Burna’s sentiment.

One user @lechova commented: “He's absolutely correct”

Another user @okwartengg audaciously claimed: “lol fela is overrated bro. Burna clears”

One other fan @LFCPRAISE commented: “He no lie sha”

Another user @OfOkija wrote: “Personally, I think he’s greater than Fela

Away from the music talk, Burna’s conversation with PlayboyMax veered into politics and identity.

When asked whether he preferred life in the U.S. or Nigeria, he bluntly stated: “You know what it is. I like the freedom. It’s like the definition of freedom is in my country. I can never be fully free in America.”

When pressed on what he meant, Burna said: “Because n****s go to jail. Like all the best n****s end up in jail bro, and I know that’s not what I’m trying to do.”

It didn’t stop there. On the stream, the hitmaker shut down talk of using ghostwriters.

“It’s when I got to L.A that I saw people writing for people,” he said, shaking his head. “People are supposed to hear your music and have an idea of who you are in a personal way.”

That statement echoed his July 2024 reaction to the claims of Davido’s signee, Logos Olori, who alleged in an interview on City 105.1 FM that Burna, Davido, and Wizkid all employ songwriters. Burna immediately denied it online in a now-deleted post:

“Any name you see credited on my songs are only producers of the songs or featured artists not writers… Nobody fit write for Odogwu.”

While the superstar is vocal about not using songwriters, he admitted to only ever getting writing assistance once from acclaimed songwriter Peruzzi, who helped on his smash hit single ‘On The Low’.

So what does “Fela is the only one greater than me” truly signify?

To some, it’s typical Burna Boy bluster. To others, it’s the mark of a man aware of his place in history. Afrobeats is now global, and Burna stands as one of its loudest ambassadors. He’s also fiercely conscious of the roots that birthed the rhythm.

In crowning Fela and dismissing the Big Three narrative, Burna isn’t just flexing. He’s reframing the conversation and shifting it from competition to legacy. While fans will continue to debate who is the greatest Nigerian music star of all time, Burna Boy has taken a clear position. In his world, there are no “Big Three”. There’s Fela. There’s Burna. And then there’s everyone else.