As one of the hottest international artists of the moment, Burna Boy, on the heels of celebrated 2019 album, African Giant, is in a position poised to be more prominent than ever. His scene – West African afro-fusion and hip-hop – is amassing more stylistic influence than any other in music, infiltrating everything from UK afrobeats to German rap, to mainstream hip-hop, R&B and pop. Perhaps what’s most telling and intriguing about his newest single, Odogwu is that, even given all the hype surrounding him and his stylistic compatriots, he continues to push the boundaries of boundless global genre by adhering to his roots.

 

Odogwu is not influenced – its influential, proper Nigerian hip-hop, celebrating the laid-back melody of Alté explorations and merging it with his Afro-fusion, popularized bread & butter. It’s a smash hit from Burna Boy who is quite arguably the most influentially unique source of music on the planet. And it’s a smash hit of his and his culture’s own making. 

 

Pop music will (thankfully) never be the same, and Burna Boy, hand-in-hand with the rest of the West African Cultural Renaissance, is to thank for that.