Burna Boy has been the artist at the forefront of the Afrobeats movement and the rise of its popularity. He also became the first Nigerian musician to headline a U.S. stadium with his performances at the NBA’s All-Star Game halftime show and the Dreamville Festival earlier this year.
Furthermore, demand for his guest verses has increased, with artists such as Byron Messia and J Hus expressing interest in working with the singer.
With the songwriter’s fame continuing to increase, J. Cole compared him to the late Tupac Shakur.
Burna recently had an interview on the “Rap Radar” podcast and during the conversation, he recalled the first time he met the Dreamville star. Burna was in the studio with Cole and a group of basketball players getting ready to work on a track. After watching him “going off” for several minutes, an impressed Cole stated the African Giant was “Tupac reincarnated in Africa.”
The Nigerian artist was bashful and shrugged off the comment, but he never forgot about the comparison.
Burna shares the same Pan-Africanist views as Tupac, and he is outspoken about authoritarian abuses. Furthermore, he has been an advocate of the “One Africa” movement, refusing to perform in South Africa in 2020 for political reasons. The two artists also have a similar cultural impact and popularity among fans.
Burna scored his first top 20 album in 2020 with Twice As Tall and in 2022, his album Love, Damini debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200.
Fans can hear the collaboration between Burna and Cole on the Nigerian talent’s new album, I Told Them. It also features 21 Savage, Dave, RZA, and GZA. The album is currently available via Atlantic Records and Spaceship Records.
I Told Them is already gaining streams on Spotify, and the official numbers of his latest release will be up this weekend.