Steve Harvey, an American filmmaker and TV host, has stated that, contrary to popular belief in the West, African musicians like Burna Boy did not plagiarize American music.
In his view, it is the West, and the United States in particular, that draw inspiration from the rhythm, soul, and rhythms of Africa.
Advertisements
People say Burna Boy took it, but in reality, it was us who took it from Burna Boy. The comedian recently made the statement on his TV show that Africans are the source of the rhythm, spirit, and hard labor that gives us courage.
According to the furucinovel, Burna Boy explained in a 2017 interview with Apple Music that he does not perform the popular West African music known as Afrobeats, but rather Afrofusion, a genre he described as a blend of African music with elements of American hip-hop, R&B, soul, Jamaican reggae, and dancehall.
At the 66th Grammys, he made history by becoming the first African artist to receive a nomination in the Best Melodic Rap Performance category—a category that had hitherto only been reserved for Western performers.
Advertisements
Even though Burna Boy lost the award to Lil Durk, several Westerners claimed he was trying to steal their musical style.
5 comments