Grammy-winning singer Damini Ogulu popularly known as Burna Boy has revealed how he recorded his first song at 13.
In a chat with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden, the acclaimed ‘African Giant’ recounted how he used a radio and a tape recorder to record the song, creatively using beats from video game soundtracks, including NBA Street, Volume II and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Burna said: “The First song I ever recorded was by myself, you wouldn’t even believe this. I had a tape, a radio, and I had a tape recorder, whatever, and I would use the beat from video games and some shit.
“So I used one from NBA Street, Volume II, I think, one from Grand Theft Auto, San Andreas, it was one of the GTAs, one of the early GTAs, I guess. So the first song I recorded was with that, playing that beat and then recording and then, yeah, that’s how it went. How old was I, man? I don’t know, man. I can’t remember. Yeah, around 13.”
The 34-year-old singer has now become a global superstar, known for his unique sound and contributions to the Afrobeats genre.
In a separate conversation, Burna Boy also addressed a past statement he made about Afrobeats lacking substance.
He apologised for the comments, explaining that he didn’t fully understand the term’s significance in promoting Nigerian music as a collective at the time.