ICYMI: Burna Boy surrenders African Giant title to Falz after shunning EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests

Nigerian singer Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, has handed over his renowned ‘African Giant’ title to fellow artist Folarin Falana, known as Falz the Bahd Guy. Burna Boy made this announcement on X.com (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, explaining why he has been absent from the ongoing #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests. In his post, Burna Boy revealed that his passion for activism waned during the 2020 ENDSARS protests when some protesters called for a boycott of his music. He wrote, 'The fight in me died on this day. Ogun go doggy, anybody wey call my name this time around,' in response to a resurfaced video from October 2020, where protesters were heard chanting against playing his music.

The tweet sparked various reactions from X.com users, who criticized him for his silence during the current protests. One anonymous user, #boymanager0, remarked, 'Oga, shut up. Because they did you bad doesn’t mean you should give up. U taught us to keep fighting in your songs, but u dey here dey cap nonsense.' Burna Boy responded, 'I taught you to keep fighting your oppressors, but you chose to fight me.' Another user, #Xperience_Snr, highlighted that the backlash against Burna Boy stemmed from his perceived indifference during critical moments, both abroad and domestically, including during elections and protests. Others questioned his self-proclaimed ‘African Giant’ title. One user, #Tooshugary4U, commented, 'Are you not supposed to be the Giant of Africa like you claimed you are? But when it is time to lend your voice, you will suddenly become ant of Africa.'

In response to these criticisms, Burna Boy stated, 'I don hand am over to Falz bros,' effectively passing on the ‘African Giant’ title to Falz, acknowledging his fellow artist's active participation in the ongoing protests. ..."IMAGE BY: Damini Ogulu a.k.a Burnaboy. PHOTO CREDIT: (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)"...