Nigerian media gave Burna Boy credits for records I set – Seun Kuti
Grammy-nominated Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti has expressed frustration over Burna Boy receiving undue credit for accomplishments achieved by him and other Nigerian artists in the music industry.
He pointed out that while Burna Boy was widely reported as the first Nigerian artist to perform at Coachella in 2020, Kuti himself had performed at the festival in 2012.
Kuti also noted that before Burna Boy received his first Grammy nomination for Best World Music Album with African Giant, his older brother Femi Kuti had already received multiple nominations in the same category.
In a recent interview with The Public Republic, Kuti lamented that his album ‘Black Times’ was nominated for Best World Music Album years ago, yet it was overlooked by African award organizers.
Despite earning another Grammy nomination for his contributions to Janelle Monae’s ‘Age of Pleasure,’ which was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2024 Grammys, the media failed to acknowledge him among the Nigerian artists nominated for the 66th Grammys.
“My brother [Femi Kuti] has been nominated at the Grammys multiple times. They’ve nominated me, I was also nominated in the last edition. It was only my name that they [Nigerian media] didn’t mention among the Nigerian artists who were nominated for the 66th Grammys. That’s what they do every time as if I’m from Togo.
“That’s how they said Burna boy was the first Nigerian artiste to play in Coachella in 2020 where me I’ve played in 2012 as if I’m from Togo,” he lamented.
