Obi Asika Reveals Burna Boy’s Tough Road to Global Stardom
In a recent episode of the Afropolitan Podcast, Nigerian music executive and Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Obi Asika, shed light on the early struggles of Grammy-winning artist Burna Boy. Asika spoke candidly about the resistance Burna Boy faced on his way to the top, highlighting how systemic gatekeeping nearly stifled the rise of one of Africa’s most successful music exports.
“This same Burna Boy that’s a million dollars plus today, they be blocking him,” Asika revealed. “He’s from Port Harcourt, he’s not from Lagos, so they be blocking him.”
According to Asika, Burna Boy’s background outside of Lagos—a city widely regarded as the heart of the Nigerian entertainment scene—created significant barriers. He struggled to even secure free performance slots in the early days of his career. Asika noted that despite the obstacles, Burna Boy managed to surpass the resistance and ascend to international acclaim.
“The same Burna Boy has bypassed everybody and exploded and now he can’t be blocked anymore,” he added.
Following the podcast, Burna Boy responded to Asika’s comments via social media, acknowledging the truth in his statement but insisting it only scratched the surface of his experiences.
“This is not even half of the story. They did everything they possibly could to break me, they are even still trying their best lol,” Burna Boy wrote. “But all they did was create this unquenchable FIRE that will continue to burn them for eternity.”
Burna Boy has long been vocal about the challenges he faced in the Nigerian music industry, including being allegedly blacklisted by media and insiders. His often tense relationship with the industry has been reflected in his open criticism of the ecosystem and a notable distance from local media platforms.
Asika’s comments provide fresh insight into Burna Boy’s contentious journey—one that, despite fierce resistance, ultimately saw him rise from the margins of Port Harcourt to become a global icon.
