Burna Boy - Net Worth, Music, Career

Burna Boy recently became one of the highest-selling Nigerian musicians in the United States. How did he make his fortune? We take you through his salary, early life, career, relationships, family, and FAQs to find out.

Burna Boy Net Worth

As of 2022, Burna Boy net worth is $20 million. He gained his fame and millions as a popular Nigerian Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter.

In the Nigerian music industry, he is one of the top artists. His annual salary is about $1.5 million per year.

He makes a lot of his money through album sales, streams, collaborations, and live concerts.

Burna Boy's fame in various countries propels him to grow in the music industry.

Early Life

Burna Boy, whose birth name is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, was born on July 2, 1991, in Garden City, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

His parents, Samuel Ogulu and Bose Ogulu, sent him to Montessori International School for primary education. Both of his parents played music in the home so he was always surrounded by it.

His dad played vinyl records every Sunday, including Ninja Man and Super Cat. His mom was an Anita Baker fan, always playing her music around the house. His mom was also a professional singer that influenced Burna Boy.

He and his mother are extremely close. Later in life, she became his manager.

Burna Boy's grandfather, Benson Idonije, managed a Nigerian musician named Fela Kuti.

Burna Boy was open to listening and learning all types of music. He received a Joe CD from a girl when he was 10 years old which got him hooked on R&B.

He was also gifted a copy of "FruityLoops" a music production software program in which he created most of his sounds in early life.

Before taking music seriously, Burna Boy was a huge fan of European football. In his early years, he played goalkeeper but gave up on his football dream to pursue another passion, music.

At first, he wanted to be a rapper because he was influenced by artists like Big Pun, Busta Rhymes, and DMX. He freestyled with his friends at school who encouraged him to do music.

Burna Boy went to secondary school at Corona, Agbara, but moved to the UK later on. After two years at a London university, he dropped out of school to move back to Nigeria in 2010.

It was then that he became more serious about working towards a music career path.

Career

Burna Boy's early influences came from American rappers, but he began listening to Afro Beat, Dancehall, and Reggae. He found a blend that he refers to as Afrofusion.

In 2010, he was signed to a startup record label called Aristokrat Records.

He gained local buzz when he released his first few tracks. It wasn't until June of 2012 that his song "Like To Party" gained real traction in Lagos.

The Breakthrough

Burna Boy released his debut studio album, "L.I.F.E," which received rave reviews. In the first week, the album sold 50,000 copies.

It was a 20-track album that features some of his hit singles, including "Like To Party."

Tonight, Always Love You, Yawa Dey, and Run My Race were other top hits from the album.

The project featured appearances from artists like Olamide, Reminisce, Wizkid, 2face Idibia, M.I., and Timaya.

In 2015, he launched a record label called Spaceship Entertainment in Nigeria. He formed it shortly after releasing his debut album.

In 2015, he released his second album, "On a Spaceship." After this sophomore album, he chose to part ways with his record company and longtime producer, LeriQ.

The following year, Burna Boy dropped a 7-track EP, "Redemption." He also began collaborating with big names in the music industry, like Fall Out Boy and Lilly Allen.

In 2017, he signed with Bad Habit/Atlantic Records in the United States and Warner Music Group internationally.

In 2018, Burna Boy released his junior album, "Outside." He released albums for consecutive years until 2021.

In 2019, he released the album, "African Giant." In the same year, he collaborated on the certified platinum project "Be Honest" with Jorja Smith. The platinum certification came from France.

"On the Low" was a track on the 2019 album that received a gold plaque in France for being streamed over 15 million times. The album was also Grammy nominated.

In 2020, he released an album titled, "Twice As Tall." His first and only career Grammy win was for Best Global Music Album for "Twice As Tall."

With this nomination, he became the first Nigerian artist with back-to-back Grammy nominations.

2022 Achievements

Burna Boy's sixth studio album, "Love, Damini," was released on July 8, 2022, through Atlanta Records.

Before the album came out, Burna Boy became the first African artist to headline a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden in April.

The Billboard 200 chart is strictly for album sales and "Love, Damini" debuted at No. 14. After selling over 25,000 copies, the project became the highest charting Nigerian album of all time in the United States.

The album also charted at No. 1 on the UK's official album chart and was No. 1 on Apple Music in 47 countries. The album is Burna Boy's highest charting album ever, no surprise there.

The accomplishment surpasses Wizkid's "Made In Lagos" which had previously charted as the highest Nigerian album on Billboard 200 with a No. 28 debut.

"Love, Damini," is a personal 19-track album that tells the story of overwhelming fame and his frustrations with the Nigerian government.

This album is a reflection of his life and how where he is from is part of where he is going. It's a letter to his fans and to himself.

"For My Hand" featuring Ed Sheeran has themes of self-love. The duo created a music video for the song that was trending in 15 different countries.

His YouTube channel has accumulated over 2.5 million subscribers, and he is actively present on social media.

Burna Boy Tour Dates

Burna Boy recently completed his Love, Damini Summer 2022 Tour. The short tour lasted from July 21 to July 31.

He traveled across select cities in the United States and visited Montreal, QC to play at the Osheaga Festival.

Burna Boy is set to play various festivals from August 19 to October 1. You can catch him performing at Lowlands Festival, Made in America Festival, AFROPUNK Festival, and more.

Relationship

"Love, Damini" was an album curated around the fact that Burna Boy was single at age 31 with no kids. It provided him an outlet to express his feelings about relationships, among other topics.

However, about a month before the album's release, Burna Boy was spotted at a club with former Big Brother Naija contestant, Rebecca Hampson, who is also known as Nengi.

The sighting sparked rumors that the two were dating, but neither party confirmed or denied the allegations. In a viral video, Burna was seen sitting on Nengi's lap.

Before this brewing relationship, Burna Boy ended things with his lover, Stefflon Don. He dated this British-Jamaican artist for some time. In late 2021, he made fans aware that he was once again single.

Years before the two got together, he described Stefflon as the perfect wife type.

Burna Boy was romantically linked to London-based makeup artist, Edith Williams, before the relationship with Stefflon. He cited Williams as the woman he was going to marry one day. At the time, it seemed serious.

In 2016, Uju Stella claimed that she was pregnant with Burna Boy's child. Burna Boy's mother/manager responded to the claim saying that they don't know anything about the child.

Burna Boy did, however, admit that he had a one-night stand with Stella. He refused the allegations about conception from that intimate night.

Stella reportedly talked to bloggers about the pregnancy without speaking to Burna Boy and his family.

In March 2021, controversial Gambian actress and filmmaker, Princess Shyngle, insinuated that she dated Burna Boy in the past.

After Burna Boy won his Grammy, Shyngle, a self-proclaimed clout chaser, congratulated her "ex" on Instagram by posting a video call of the two.

Family

Burna Boy's mother was a professional singer who later became his manager. She is well-known for her iconic speeches when she accepts awards on behalf of her son.

Along with being a singer, she worked with the Federation of West African Chambers and other organizations because of her background. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Language and a Masters of Arts in Translation.

His father was a manager at a welding firm. His main goal was to ensure that his son had a good education.

Burna Boy has two sisters, Ranoami Ogulu and Nissi Ogulu. Nissi, Burna Boy's younger sister, has spent most of her life in London. She is also a talented musician and painter.

She joined the limelight of the Nigeria Entertainment Industry in 2016 with the release of "Pay Attention."

Ronoami Ogulu is the first daughter, but still younger than Burna Boy. She is a Nigerian stylist and entrepreneur. She often styles her older brother.

Besides Burna Boy's maternal grandfather, Benson Idonije, not much is known about Burna Boy's grandparents. Idonije was a band manager and well-known radio host.

Little is known about Burna Boy's uncles, aunts, nephews, and nieces.

FAQ

Burna Boy is very open about his life on social media and his relationship with his family. But, there are lesser-known facts about the star that fans want to know.

How Did Burna Boy Get His Name?

Burna Boy adopted his stage name as a result of his love of comic books. He wanted to be a superhero in his early life. He would draw his own comics starring the superhero he created, "Burna".

Does Burna Boy Have Tattoos?

Burna Boy has over 11 tattoos. His first tattoo was inked on him very young at the age of 15.

Burna Boy gets tattoos as a form of artistic expression and representation. He has a tattoo on his arm of his role model Fela Kuti.

Kuti was managed by Burna Boy's grandfather and is known for founding afrofusion.

Does Burna Boy Write His Songs?

Burna Boy writes his own songs and songs for popular artists. Burna Boy has said that music just comes to him, and he has never picked up a pen and paper to write anything down.

Does Burna Boy Live in London?

After growing up in Nigeria and going to London for university, Burna Boy feels as if London is his second home. Lagos is where the bulk of his recording happens, but London reminds him of his hometown.

There were rumors in 2016 that Burna Boy was banned from London for a few years. New sites reported that he was banned because of jumping bail during parole and his involvement with gang-related crimes.

Burna Boy denied these allegations after returning to London. He said he came back himself without being deported or banned.

Does Burna Boy Have a Twin?

Phoenix Suns basketball player Jae Crowder is commonly noted for looking like Burna Boy. Although the two have similar features, they are not twins and are not related.

How Tall Is Burna Boy?

Burna Boy is around 6ft 1in. In other words, he is 184.5 cm. in height.

The Future of Burna Boy

Burna Boy net worth remains at $20 million for now. As he is set to play at various festivals this fall, his net worth remains high and has the possibility of increasing.

Burna Boy is consistent in releasing chart-topping music that people around the world enjoy. Since his most recent project came out just a few months ago, there is no news on the possibility of another album.

With his upbringing surrounded by music and a supportive family, Burna Boy became one of the most popular Nigerian musicians.

Our net worths are for entertainment purposes only. We do our best to provide accurate figures, but we cannot guarantee their accuracy. The figures are based on public information and estimates, and may not reflect the true value of assets or liabilities.