Music

David Ben

The internet nearly stopped breathing when <a target="_blank" class="editor-link" href="https://www.pulse.ng/articles/entertainment/burna-boy-history-new-zealand-afrosoul-festival-2025101618015213845">Burna Boy</a>, seated casually on Twitch streamer PlayboyMax’s channel, made a bold declaration while <a target="_blank" class="editor-link" href="https://www.pulse.ng/articles/entertainment/barack-obama-tribute-fela-kuti-new-podcast-2025102311573075127">Fela Kuti</a>’s 1997 classic “Coffin For Head of State” was playing in the background.&nbsp;

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

Then came the bold declaration from the African Giant.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“Fela Kuti is the king , he’s the only one greater than me “ - Burna Boy as he vibes to fela Kuti’s song &quot;Coffin For Head of State&quot; on Playboymax stream live on Twitch <a href="https://t.co/mvom0I0Oo8">pic.twitter.com/mvom0I0Oo8</a>&mdash; ThatOjoBoy (@ThatOjoBoy) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThatOjoBoy/status/1984107203129962683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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.&nbsp;

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

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

Burna Boy becomes first Nigerian to have five projects on the Billboard 200

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

Burna has been performing at stadiums across Europe and America, headlining Glastonbury, <a target="_blank" class="editor-link" href="https://www.pulse.ng/articles/entertainment/music/burna-boy-makes-african-history-in-sold-out-london-stadium-concert-2024072706551247937">selling out the London Stadium</a>, and becoming<a target="_blank" class="editor-link" href="https://www.pulse.ng/articles/entertainment/music/revealed-nigerias-top-10-highest-grossing-single-concerts-of-all-time-2025102110451255357"> the first African artist to do so</a>.

<h3>Burna&rsquo;s homage to a godfather</h3>

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.&nbsp;

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

But on that Twitch stream, Burna&rsquo;s declaration carried something deeper.&nbsp;

It wasn&rsquo;t mere praise. It was a statement of lineage and a stern reminder of Fela Kuti&rsquo;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&rsquo;s sentiment.

Burna Boy headlined the first-ever Afrosoul in New Zealand | Instagram

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

<h3>&lsquo;Freedom lives in Nigeria&rsquo; – Burna On Why He Can&rsquo;t Be Free in America</h3>

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.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Burna Boy tells PlaqueBoyMax he prefers Nigeria over America because of the freedom he feels back home 🇳🇬❤️ “I like freedom, the definition of freedom is in my country.... I can never be fully free here” <a href="https://t.co/vc8eD4dd9Y">pic.twitter.com/vc8eD4dd9Y</a>&mdash; PlaqueBoyMaxUpdates (@PlaqueReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/PlaqueReport/status/1984097650988478886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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.”

<h3>Burna Shuts Down The Songwriter Talk</h3>

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.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Burna Boy on the idea of having a songwriter &quot;It was when I came to LA that I knew people had songwriters. A lot of people are doing it now in Nigeria though, but I don&#39;t&quot; <a href="https://t.co/4eRzTTbtFA">pic.twitter.com/4eRzTTbtFA</a>&mdash; 𝗔𝗟𝗕𝗨𝗠 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦 📀 (@AlbumTalksHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlbumTalksHQ/status/1984159667673784762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That statement echoed his July 2024 reaction to the claims of Davido’s signee, Logos Olori, who <a target="_blank" class="editor-link autolink-disabled" href="https://x.com/Olamide0fficial/status/1809649788209725448">alleged in an interview on City 105.1 FM</a> that Burna, Davido, and Wizkid all employ songwriters. Burna immediately denied it online in a <a target="_blank" class="editor-link" href="https://notjustok.com/news/nobody-fit-write-for-odogwu-burna-boy-denies-using-songwriters/">now-deleted post</a>:

“Any name you see credited on my songs are only&nbsp;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’.

<h3>What Burna&rsquo;s Statement Really Means</h3>

So what does &ldquo;Fela is the only one greater than me&rdquo; truly signify?

Burna Boy's fans are called 'Outsiders' | Credit: IMAGO

To some, it&rsquo;s typical Burna Boy bluster. To others, it&rsquo;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&rsquo;s also fiercely conscious of the roots that birthed the rhythm.

In crowning Fela and dismissing the Big Three narrative, Burna isn&rsquo;t just flexing. He&rsquo;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 &ldquo;Big Three&rdquo;. There&rsquo;s Fela. There&rsquo;s Burna. And then there&rsquo;s everyone else.

Burna Boy declares: “Fela Is the Only One Greater Than Me” | Photo Credits: Getty Images

Getty

In a moment that felt both confession and coronation, Burna Boy bowed to Fela Kuti while lifting himself above his peers.

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

Steve Dede

American rap mogul Jay Z has continued to pay tribute to Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti by including a record by the Nigerian music great in the soundtrack of a new Netflix movie 'The Harder They Fall'.&nbsp;

Jay Z produced the Western, which stars Idris Elba and Regina King, among others, and curated the soundtrack.&nbsp;

The soundtrack highlights black music from across the world, and Fela's record 'Let's Start' from 1971 'Live' album is in the project.&nbsp;

The record was also used in one of the trailers for the movie.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/fela-anikulapo-kuti-inducted-into-rock-n-roll-hall-of-fame/w1kk5rn">Jay Z said Fela</a>'s songs represented black people, so he included one of them in the soundtrack.

"The idea of adding those landscapes to these images is super interesting. If you think about the time when Western was super popular and was the only thing on TV, it was influencing the world," the hip-hop mogul said in an interview at the London screening of the movie.&nbsp;

"So you had people in Jamaica dress up as Cowboys because these are images they had seen on TV.&nbsp;

"So there is actual that place that exists over Western music and we have a few of those.&nbsp;

"Just that juxtaposition of how art influences life and life influences culture was just interesting to us, and Fela Kuti was so hard it was just the best trailer, music of all time.&nbsp;

"That's what I listen to in the house, Jeymes (Samuel)-director of the movie- as well; that's what we listen to when we kicking it. SO we just put the things that we really love. Cause it's magic and magic going work."&nbsp;

Jay Z has always championed Fela; the rap legend was one of the sponsors and producers of 'Fela!' the classic musical about the Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer on the legendary Broadway.

In 2016, he added Fela's anti-military protest anthem 'Zombie' in his playlist highlighting social injustice in America.

Famed for his activism, Fela pioneered Afrobeat that also gave birth to the contemporary Afrobeats.

He released so many groundbreaking records between the mid-1960s and early 90s. He died in August 1997 at the age of 58.

Jay Z reveals why included Fela's record in the soundtrack of new Netflix movie 'The Harder They Fall'

Jay Z says he always listens to Jay Z at his home.

'Fela Kuti was so hard'- Rap mogul Jay Z on why he included Fela's record in the soundtrack of new Netflix movie 'The Harder They Fall'

Motolani Alake

<h1>In Nigerian music, greatness doesn’t last. However, some artists have found the hunger, consistency and success to transcend the limitations of greatness. However, even those who transcend those limitations struggle to achieve ‘The Trifecta.’&nbsp;</h1>

Also known as ‘The Perfect Three,’ it is three consecutive top quality, universally acclaimed and commercially successful albums by an artist. For certain artists, hits will add to their notoriety, but hits are not exactly a criterion to judge ‘The Trifecta.’&nbsp;

Most successful Nigerian artists like 2Baba, Shina Peters, Majek Fashek, Naeto C and almost everybody else did two groundbreaking albums back-to-back. Also sadly, the great Oliver De Coq doesn’t qualify for this list because two of his trifecta dropped in the 70’s and one in the 80’s. It’s also hard to follow his 80’s discography due to conflicting release dates.

Without ado, let’s get to the conversation;

D’Banj just missed out on the top 15 because his sophomore album was basically an EP that was padded with his debut, No Long Thing and turned into a whole album. Equally, No Long Thing is a good album that changed the Nigerian tide, but it’s not exactly the best album. But you see The Entertainer, that’s a classic.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The closest to the top 15 is Tony Tetuila’s trifecta between Morning Time, My Car and E Go Better.&nbsp;

Femi Kuti could have had the trifecta with Shoki Shoki, Fight To Win and Day By Day, but Day By Day isn't as great as other. The closest to a trifecta is Africa For Africa, No Place For My Dream and One People, One World. However, One People, One World never really got the same acclaim, on the level of the Grammy nominees preceding it.

Nonetheless, One People, One World will always have 'Evil People,' an incredible record.

She was barely legal when she released her debut album, My Kind of Music in 1987, but she became Nigeria’s queen of Reggae regardless. She misses out on the top 15 because her sophomore album, though impactful, was said to have been slightly underpar in comparison to the highs of both her debut and her groundbreaking third album, Happy Birthday.&nbsp;

ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/top-10-times-nigerian-artists-released-groundbreaking-sophomore-albums-olamide-phyno/qhdj6m9">10 Nigerian artists who have avoided sophomore album</a>

For context, all three albums were released under Polydor.&nbsp;

Period: 2013 - 2016

Albums: Merchants, Dealers and Slaves (2013), Tabula Rasa (2014) and Klitoris (2016)

In terms of pure quality, Klitoris might be a weaker album to others since Brymo’s rebirth in 2013, but it’s still good enough to complete a trifecta. In fact, it’s stuck in between two trifectas in Brymo’s discography.&nbsp;

Merchants, Dealers and Slaves is largely thought to be Brymo’s magnus opus, but that might have changed with <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/brymo-yellow-album-review/8h4zkm9">Yellow. </a>You see Tabula Rasa, it deserves more respect outside Brymo’s core stan base. That was an incredible album.&nbsp;

Period: 1999 - 2001

Album: Sweet Experience (1999), Divine Intervention (2000) and Something Else (2001)

Yinka Ayefele’s magnus opus will probably be somewhere between Aspiration and Fulfilment. Equally, Aspiration, Fulfillment and New Dawn is another incredible trifecta in this 24-album career, but the first trifecta just takes the cake.

After his accident, Bitter Experience (1997) got some traction for its amazing roll-out, but Sweet Experience was where he started coming into his own as an artist. The album was so successful that rumours swirled that Ayefele sold his physical health for success through rituals.&nbsp;

By Divine Intervention and Something Else, he had become a full start who commanded incredible fees for shows.&nbsp;

Period: 2008 - 2011

Albums: Gongo Aso (2008), Tradition (2009) and Basorun Gaa (2011)

9ice’s early discography is often unfairly perceived with slight doses of ignorance. For those who experienced 9ice’s music, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-breakdown-gongo-aso-by-9ice/id1118938394?i=1000486309017">Gongo Aso</a> is one of the finest albums that Nigerian music has ever seen. Tradition might have been polarizing at the start, but it grew on people and had as much impact and staying power as ‘Gongo Aso.’

Basorun Gaa is an exceptional album with high replay value. As 9ice’s first album away from ID Cabasa, Chephoo and TY Mix experimented and found 9ice a new sound for ‘Everyday,’ ‘Attitude’ and ‘Adigun Ojuwonlo.’ Of the 18 tracks on this album, at least six were hits.&nbsp;

Of course, there was also Versus.&nbsp;

Period: 2005 - 2012

Albums: Uplifted (2010), Blessed (2012) and Thankful (2014)

Ijele launched onto the Nigerian scene in 2005 with his debut, Nabania. It was an interesting take on Nigeria Highlife and Traditional Folk music, fused together with Pop. Flavour canvassed topics like love, God, heartbreak and more.&nbsp;

ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/review-flavour-flavour-of-africa/vmpf03l">Flavour - Flavour of Africa {Album Review]</a>

This template was tweaked for his first mainstream success, Uplifted in 2010 and then repeated for Blessed and Thankful. He never looked back as he became one of Africa’s most distinctive performers of his generation.&nbsp;

Period: 1982 - 1986

Albums: Endless Life (1982), In The Morning Light (1984) and One Love (1986)

Onyeka Onwenu was a stunningly beautiful singer who became Nigeria’s heartthrob in the 80’s. This was in the thick of Nigeria’s obsession with Electro-pop, Alt-pop and Disco, after the era of Psychedelic Rock.&nbsp;

Endless Life had some parts sung in Igbo and In The Morning Light was a conscious tale of positive topics, which also referenced God. One Love was a rallying cry to Nigerians about what we need.&nbsp;

Period: 2001 - 2002

Albums: P.A.S.S (2001), Mr. Lecturer (2002) and Jaga Jaga (2004)

Nigerians ignorantly spit&nbsp;on the greatness of Eedris Abdulkareem, but in the early 2000s, he was the Nigerian rapper who arguably became Africa’s biggest artist on Kennis Music. After the Remedies split, Tony Tetuila released his Paul Play Dairo-produced debut album, Morning Time in 1999.&nbsp;

It was so successful that it put Abdulkareem and Eddy Remedy under pressure. More importantly, Tetuila's album had a fresh sound. When Abdulkareem finally released his debut, P.A.S.S, it was a groundbreaker for Kennis Music.

It produced smash hits, ‘Oko Ashewo,’ ‘Oko Omoge,’ ‘Player Meji’ and ‘Wackawickee MCs.’ ‘Come Back Home’ was also a sleeper hit which heralded Pasuma’s run with the Nigerian Hip-Hop community as African Puff Daddy.&nbsp;

While Mr. Lecturer was not as good an album as ‘P.A.S.S,’ it was still a groundbreaking album which produced the classic eponymous record which documented sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and abuse of office in Nigerian universities before Sex For Grades and <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/movies/citation-is-perhaps-kunle-afolayans-best-told-story-yet/8nzqfe5">Citation.&nbsp;</a>

In 2004, he released the socio-political critique, Jaga Jaga, which threw the Nigerian government in the mud and angered then Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo who made a snide comment towards Abdulkareem in Yoruba.&nbsp;

Period: 1993 - 1995

Albums: The Ultimate (1993), Consolidation (1995) and Reflection (1995)

During a recent illuminating conversation with Pulse Nigeria, legendary cinematographer Clarence Abiodun Peters talked about the piercing of the veil in Nigerian folk music. It’s known as the 77/91 era. The entrance of KWAM 1 in 1991 took the music from ordinary consumption into something else.&nbsp;

ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/king-wasiu-ayinde-marshall-kwam-1-fuji-the-sound-ep-review/3wwf66l">KWAM 1 - FUJI, The Sound [EP REVIEW]</a>

KWAM 1 must have at least four trifectas in his career, but this one stands out because;

<ol><li>It witnessed KWAM 1’s first arch with sonic experimentation.&nbsp;</li><li>Consolidation was the moment which made KWAM 1 the Fuji maven of his generation and set him on the path to greatness.&nbsp;</li><li>‘Reflection’ was an impressive experiment with faster paced music after KWAM 1 had markedly slowed it down with his last two albums. Reflection was also a positive energy in the face of negativity that Nigeria faced at the time.</li></ol>

Period: 1982 - 1983

Albums: Ja Funmi (1982) Juju Music (1982) and Synchro System (1982)

First off, neither of these albums will be in the top three of King Sunny Ade’s albums in terms of quality, impact and even critical acclaim. What they represent is King Sunny Ade’s finest, most consistent three album run.&nbsp;

Juju Music and Synchro System were his two releases under Island Records, as the heir apparent to Bob Marley. Both albums also <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/burna-boy-wizkid-king-sunny-ade-and-the-top-5-nigerian-peak-positions-on-the/zymx1eb">debuted within the </a><a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/burna-boy-wizkid-king-sunny-ade-and-the-top-5-nigerian-peak-positions-on-the/zymx1eb">Billboard 200</a> and ‘Synchro System’ got a Grammy nomination for Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording in 1984.&nbsp;

When he refused to westernize his music, he left the deal and continued releasing music. However, his next genuine groundbreaking album came when he released Odu in the 90’s.&nbsp;

But before all that, he released the hugely successful and popular album, Ja Funmi during his impressive 1982-1983 run. The album produced the classic tune of the same name.&nbsp;

Period: 2008 - 2013&nbsp;

Albums: Asha (2008), Beautiful Imperfection (2010) and Bed of Stone (2014)

<a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/cobhams-tells-pulse-nigeria-his-story-pulse-interview/6n88dsj">When Asa met </a><a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/cobhams-tells-pulse-nigeria-his-story-pulse-interview/6n88dsj">Cobhams Asuquo</a> at Allianz Francais in 2005, she was a France IJGB who had a hot craving for fried yam. Although they became friends, thanks to Asa’s lifelong friend, Janet Nwose, it was their musical output that will truly be the striking point which leads back to that album.&nbsp;

Together, they worked on Asa’s classic debut album, Asha which produced hits in the thick of Nigeria that had found its contemporary pop sound. ‘Jailer,’ ‘Fire On The Mountain’ and ‘Bibanke’ are classic Nigerian records that have become lifelong radio darlings. <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/asa-beautiful-imperfection-10th-anniversary-review/2h676ee">Beautiful Imperfection</a> is Asa’s magnus opus.&nbsp;

When the album clocked 10 in 2020, Pulse Nigeria did an anniversary review that broke down the socio-political meaning of the album in painstaking detail. What followed was Bed of Stone, Asa’s most commercially viable album till date. Purely in terms of album quality, it will be hard to find a better three album run in Nigerian music since the 80’s.&nbsp;

Period: 1996 - 2000

Albums: C’est Un African Thing (1996), WE (2000) and ME (2000)

Look, Lagbaja had three different trifectas between 1991 and 2000. First he had; Ikira, Lagbaja and C’est Un African Thing. Second, he had; C’est Un African Thing, WE and ME. Third, he had; WE/ME (as a double album), We and Me Part II and ABAMI, his riveting dedication to Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.&nbsp;

ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/20-years-after-lagbajas-warning-on-suuru-lere-nigeria-is-in-trouble/xg9zzb1">20 years after Lagbaja’s warning on ‘Suuru Lere,’ Nigeria is in trouble</a>

That said, the second trifecta gets the nod because it’s a beautiful potpourri of hits, socio-political commentaries and activism. ‘C’est Un African Thing’ was a hotbed for hits like ‘Coolu Temper,’ ‘Africalypso’ and ‘Baby T’a Ni Ko Fe Wa.’ It also had album cuts like ‘Owo Eko’ and ‘Dis Is Lagos,’ which documented both sides of Lagos reality.

‘WE’ discussed Nigeria, responsibility, unity and patriotism from the perspective of the Nigerian people. He then used ‘ME’ as&nbsp;a converse narration of those themes from the aggregate of one person while being more commercial. WE/ME was a double album that shook the Nigerian mainstream with its layered doses of scary artistry when it dropped. It also got Lagbaja on some major European tours.

‘WE’ produced hits like ‘Me And You No Be Enemy’ and the classic Folksy ballad, ‘Suuru Lere,’ a record that drove many grown Nigerians to tears in the 2000s. ‘ME’ produced hits like ‘Simple Yes or No,’ ‘Gra Gra,’ ‘Feyin E’ and the classic record, ‘Konko Below.’&nbsp;

Period: 2018 - 2020

Albums: Outside (2018), African Giant (2019) and Twice As Tall (2020)

At the 2015 MTV African Music Awards, Nigerian superstar, Burna Boy was a hungry artist with incredible depths of talent. He snatched the microphone from his former friend, South African rapper, AKA and stole French Montana’s show during the performance of ‘Ain’t Got No Worries.’

Two years later, his career looked to be dwindling as his albums even stopped being an acid trip down fruit-laden paths. Then his mother came back into the frame as his manager while he signed with Bad Habit/Atlantic Records/Warner. The first record from a revamped Burna Boy was fan-favourite, <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/pulse-album-review-burna-boy-and-damini-ogulu-are-the-same-person-on-outside-album/qwh20pd">Outside.&nbsp;</a>

The album produced the international smash hit, ‘Ye.’ It also produced ‘Heaven’s Gate,’ on which Burna Boy produced the best show of his layered sonic palette and scary natural talent opposite the talented British singer, Lily Allen. Then came <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/album-review-pulse-does-a-breakdown-of-burna-boys-african-giant/z2dvdhz">African Giant</a> and its three-hit run, which culminated in the classic street tune, ‘Kilin Dem’ and a Grammy nod.&nbsp;

Unsatisfied with his Grammy loss for ‘African Giant,’ Burna Boy pushed the limits of his creativity and produced T<a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/burna-boy-twice-as-tall-album-review-sauti-sol-diddy-youssou-ndour-stormzy-chris/hxbfrgt">wice As Tall </a>- another Grammy nominated album.&nbsp;

Here are the top 15 Nigerian artists to pull off 'the trifecta' after 1980. (Pulse Nigeria)

Also known as ‘The Perfect Three,’ it is three consecutive top quality, universally acclaimed and commercially successful albums by one Nigerian artist.

Here are the top 15 Nigerian artists to pull off 'the trifecta' after 1980

<h2>Fela is a shadow that hovers above Nigeria like rumblings of a distant thunder. He is distant but his spirit lives on. He is the greatest Nigerian artist to have ever lived and his legacy transcends the music and it has earned itself a place in the Nigerian political zeitgeist. International media and international practitioners look to ‘Abami Eda’ as a quintessential symbol of blackness.&nbsp;</h2>

His greatness gets extolled by those who only knew about him, years after his death. He fought for/against what he believed in - pan-Africanism, basic human rights and bad governance.&nbsp;

In return, he lost a significant amount of his wealth, he lost his mother, got raided multiple times, lost a chunk of what could have been his wealth, earned a complicated relationship with his son and died of HIV.

As another independence day looms for Nigeria, the spirit of Fela is again being chanelled. Polarizing Nigerian politician, Omoyele Sowore aims to stage an independence day protest while others are having an independence day concert.&nbsp;

His bid to get some publicity for the event has again brought back conversations about how modern Nigerian artists are ‘failing Fela.’

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">No schemes, just telling you that becos there are lots of comparisons &amp; mannerisms, but there is a need for CHARACTER of the Fela that stands for social-political justice because you&#39;ve professed these when it&#39;s artistically convenient! I do hope you will join us!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RevolutionNow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RevolutionNow</a> <a href="https://t.co/3ZWh0Whx8Z">pic.twitter.com/3ZWh0Whx8Z</a>&mdash; Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) <a href="https://twitter.com/YeleSowore/status/1311030987577491456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

</div>

On September 29, 2020, Sowore took to his Twitter page and wrote, “Hello @burnaboy , everywhere I turn people describe you as a revolutionary musician, the foreign media even celebrate you compare you to Fela Kuti, but I am yet to see you lead anyone to a police station carrying a coffin for head of state! Join #Oct1stProtest #RevolutionNow.”

Burna Boy replied in a since deleted post, “When Fela was alive, the very people he was fighting for were the ones who put him through real hell. People even stayed away from my mother’s family for associating with Fela. They killed his mother and said he deserved it.”

He then tweeted, “Everybody is a Fela fan and supporter now that he is dead. Humans are so Funny, You politicians are ALL the same (especially in Nigeria) and Frankly I don’t trust none of you. @YeleSowore”

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/burnaboy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@burnaboy</a> I am not just one of the persons who you could describe as “Fela’s fan after he died,” I am a member of Fela’s household, ask <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSeunKuti?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RealSeunKuti</a>, as a student’s leader in the 90s I met and hung out with Abami Eda at home and the African shrine! If you want to be Fela be Fela <a href="https://t.co/P8Y3gI6Ziz">https://t.co/P8Y3gI6Ziz</a>&mdash; Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) <a href="https://twitter.com/YeleSowore/status/1311015134106726400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Everybody is a Fela fan and supporter now that he is dead. Humans are so Funny, You politicians are ALL the same (especially in Nigeria) and Frankly I don’t trust none of you.<a href="https://twitter.com/YeleSowore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YeleSowore</a>.&mdash; Burna Boy (@burnaboy) <a href="https://twitter.com/burnaboy/status/1311009689782702081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Sowore replied, “@burnaboy I am not just one of the persons who you could describe as “Fela’s fan after he died,” I am a member of Fela’s household, ask @RealSeunKuti , as a student’s leader in the 90s I met and hung out with Abami Eda at home and the African shrine! If you want to be Fela be Fela.”

Burna Boy then went on to write, “@YeleSowore Well. I am NOT FELA. I Have said that countless times. But you sir are a politician. Leave me out of your schemes. Thanks.”&nbsp;

Sowore then replied, “No schemes, just telling you that becos there are lots of comparisons &amp; mannerisms, but there is a need for CHARACTER of the Fela that stands for social-political justice because you've professed these when it's artistically convenient! I do hope you will join us! #RevolutionNow.”

Fela is a symbol of greatness and everybody associates themselves with greatness. For a long time, bad advice, ignorance and possibly due to the power of dreams possibly induced by psychedelia, a few Nigerian artists fancied themselves <a href="https://back.zikoko.com/pop/fela-kuti-death-anniversary/">the ‘new Fela.’</a> Others didn’t even have to label themselves thus, their fans branded them the new Fela.&nbsp;

At the time, fans and artists basically equated making cheap Afrobeat revamps and dressing in ankara prints or dancing on stage while scantily clad to being Fela. Unknown to them, they were playing reductionist with the legacy of an artist they will never match musically, an artist they will never match by impact and an artist they will never match in legacy.&nbsp;

Even worse, they put a target on their own backs. These days, foreign media&nbsp;gets chomping at the beat when it hears any artist mention Fela. For a Nigerian artist, mentioning Fela on American media circuits gets you endorsement from ignorant people who tokenize these Nigerian artists.&nbsp;

At some point, it was about Wizkid. For a brief time, other people brandished Tekno as the new Fela because he made something as basic as ‘Rara.’ Others have also equated hedonism and philandering tendencies to living like Fela. They fail to understand that Fela’s rebellious lifestyle was a microcosm of his natural avant-garde nature, which fuelled his activism. He just strongly believed in what he believed in.&nbsp;

But all through the madness, the closest pale representation of the wretched man’s Fela in this generation is Burna Boy. While he has never fancied himself to be the ‘new Fela,’ he is greatly inspired by Fela and he doesn’t even have to say it.&nbsp;

While some Nigerians like the legendary Eedris Abdulkareem have criticized Burna Boy for continually sampling Burna Boy’s music while claiming he would have no career without Fela, the man has just gone about living his life. It also doesn’t help Burna Boy that his family shares close ties with Fela.&nbsp;

His grandfather, Benson Idonije used to manage the Afrobeat pioneer. In a 2018 video, Burna Boy and his mother, Bose ‘Mama Burna’ Ogulu threw their fists in the air to greet each other. While some people think the activist lifestyle is an act and they might have a point, pan-Africanism and a strong belief system are part of Burna Boy’s values.&nbsp;

His mother, a professor, is also an intellectual with strong cultural beliefs. Like Fela, her son is avant-garde and naturally rebellious. While this has put him in several bouts of trouble, it has also helped him get on the podium he currently occupies as the <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/wizkid-davido-the-emergence-of-afrobeats-and-burna-boy-as-its-poster-boy/cbw7g1w">poster boy of Afrobeats/Afro-pop.&nbsp;</a>

Burna Boy’s chatter around pan-Africanism feels more organic to him than to any other member of his generation. Those ones simply don’t have the range for pan-African conversations.

Some of the knowledge Burna Boy shares might have been passed to him by his mother, but it doesn’t mean he does not believe or understand most of the things he talks about.&nbsp;

<h2>Sowore vs. Burna Boy: Perp vs. Victim&nbsp;</h2>

In moments like the infamous Coachella moment, Burna Boy has also used pan-Africanism for selfish motives fuelled by his own ego and vain need to be taken seriously. But other times, those pan-Africanist beliefs and his activist/militant alter ego have also put an unfair target on his back.&nbsp;

It is also why Omoyele Sowore has taken aim at him. As in most circumstances like this, Sowore and Nigerians are using artists as scapegoats. In this case, Burna Boy is a victim of his own pan-Africanist beliefs and rhetorics while Sowore is a hypocritical clown who is simply using Burna Boy to further his own agenda.&nbsp;

Vector, MI Abaga, Falz and more have spoken against the government, but Sowore went for the 'biggest face' in the yard. That in itself is a tactic; you need the biggest face to sell powerful messages, but Sowore's virtue signaling antics are the problem that expose his attention-seeking.

This writer can see why Nigerians would demand some form of activism from Burna Boy beyond the odd tweet and songs like ‘Monsters You Made’ or ‘Wetin Man Go Do’ or ‘Another Story.’ Burna Boy has repeatedly spoken about how Nigerians have been taking nonsense and how they need to act.&nbsp;

If you talk like that, you better be ready to back it up. However, this writer also sees the unfairness of it all. Like any other Nigerian, Burna Boy could just be talking from a place of pain and that doesn’t invalidate any of those aforementioned rhetorics. We Nigerians really do take nonsense from politicians.&nbsp;

In a lot of ways, making music about the bad governance is already some form of activism. That's better than what most people do - if Sowore really wanted to get Burna Boy for a protest, he could have reached out privately, but he didn't. Instead, he chose the performative path of a social media mention because he wabted a reaction.

He also wanted the credit that comes with going against a superstar - that's clout-chasing and what our British brothers call solid gold shithousery.

Sowore was simply looking for political endorsement because he is a politician and a politician's protest is a campaign. Had Burna Boy joined him, what Sowore and his team would have done was smear blogs and media platforms with pictures of him with Burna Boy with corny captions like, 'African Giant joins Sowore on a protest...'

In this twisted world, that's endorsement. As in any other case, people like Burna Boy are just regular people who have seen their beliefs placed on a pedestal because they dwell in the public eye.&nbsp;

While Nigeria needs to reawaken its protest culture if some great things will ever be achieved, it will be foolhardy to simply trust the words of Sowore, a known camera whore and attention addict who lives in a perpetual state of comical delusions that he has force-fed himself. It is all pitiable.&nbsp;

At this time, it seems all Sowore simply wanted was some cheap publicity for his agenda-driven October 1, 2020 ‘protest.’ Guys, he is literally leaving #RevolutionNow on every tweet that forms his exchange with Burna Boy. That’s basically a simple ploy for cheap trend.&nbsp;

It’s just so sad that Burna Boy took the bait and gave him the attention he wanted. The simple reply should have been, 'I would love to join a protest, but I don't want to join yours....'

Sowore doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. He is an actor and a phony. While Burna Boy does need to add some real-life substance to his activist rhetorics aboard popular music, but he also retains the prerogative to do it in any way he desires.&nbsp;

<h2>Nigeria and the difficulty of activism</h2>

It is difficult to fight for Nigeria or be an activist in these modern days. More so, it is difficult to build your brand around such trouble. Fela was an outlier and we appreciate him for it, but most people don’t have an appetite for such consistent acts of activism and that should be absolutely fine.&nbsp;

While celebrities need some social responsibility, nobody will nurse their scars of war for them when things go pear-shaped. Falz released an entire album about activism, titled Moral Instruction, but he got dragged by Nigerians for the flimsy issue of transactional sex.&nbsp;

Fela was an outlier and we appreciate him for it, but most people don’t have an appetite for such consistent acts of activism and that should be absolutely fine.&nbsp;

Fela

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