“Not Even Fela”: Burna Boy Shares Reason None of Afrobeat Legend's Songs Inspired Him
- Singer Burna Boy sat with tennis legend Roger Federer for a revealing chat about football and music
- The Grammy winner praised Okocha and Ronaldinho, but playfully mocked the Super Eagles’ performance
- On music, he admitted that none of Fela’s albums directly inspired him, leaving Federer stunned
- An entertainment fan believed that Burna Boy's comment was a disrespect to Fela's legacy
When two global icons sit down for a chat, you expect fireworks, and that’s exactly what happened when Nigerian superstar Burna Boy met tennis legend Roger Federer.
The conversation gave fans a rare glimpse into Burna’s love for football, his unconventional music journey.
Federer asked the superstar about the records that shaped his youth. Burna listed Joe’s debut album, Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III, Tupac’s Makaveli, and, of course, “all of Fela’s albums” courtesy of his grandfather.
Source: Instagram
But when Federer pressed him on which one inspired him the most, Burna dropped a bombshell.
“Honestly, none,” he said flatly.
A visibly shocked Federer leaned forward: “Really? Are you for real?”
Burna doubled down.
“I promise you. Well, Fela was a big influence on me.”
Burna's face lit up when Federer asked about his favourite footballers. Without hesitation, he named Nigerian legend Austin “JJ” Okocha.
The singer stated:
“My good soccer player is JJ Okocha."
This prompted Federer to nod.
"I remember JJ Okocha, of course. He scored some great goals,” the Swiss star replied.
The singer also gave Victor Osimhen and Ronaldinho their flowers, praising their creativity and flair on the pitch. But when it came to Nigeria’s national team, Burna couldn’t resist a cheeky jab.
He joked:
“The Super Eagles. That’s super cool. Why Super Eagles? They can’t fly, but you know, they win some games."
Watch the interview here:
Nigerians react to Burna Boy's video
Legit.ng compiled the reactions of social media users below:
@uccie_standard:
"And Whats wrongs with him not being able to draw inspiration from his music? Is inspiration supposed to be forced? The choice of people who reach out to me sometimes inspire our exquisite beaded bag design but not everyone. I could even come from the person who is paying for the lowest product so Whats the point"
@hjiop5071:
"Make una nor mind this mumu blogs ooo. Please go to YouTube and watch the interview. He cited Fela as a big inspiration"
@therealdonwilly:
"OKOCHA is the best player in Africa"
@different.chris:
"Grow big and now downplaying where your growth started from. Make sure you won’t need Nigerians again sha."
@kaycee_autos10010:
"Fela spread taking hard drugs in Nigeria while wole Soyinka brought cultism in Nigeria"
@ilesanmi.dammy:
"Someone that built African giant based on fela sounds, he sample more than 8 fela songs on Africa giant album"
Source: Instagram
Burna didn't disrespect Fela - Burna
An entertainment fan believed that Burna Boy's comment was a disrespect to Fela's legacy.
He shared:
"I don’t think Burna disrespected Fela. He only spoke his truth about inspiration. Fela clearly shaped his worldview and sound, but that doesn’t mean a specific album sparked him. To me, Burna was just being authentic, not dismissive."
Daniel Regha rips into Burna Boy's new album
Legit.ng earlier reported that controversial critic Daniel Regha reviewed Burna Boy's latest album.
The singer dropped his latest album, titled No Sign of Weakness, on Friday, July 11, 2025. While fans were still digesting the body of work and industry colleagues hailed the project, Regha came forward with a no-holds-barred review that has caused intense debate across music spaces.
Taking to his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, Regha rated the album a mere 2/10, insisting it was Burna Boy’s weakest effort yet.
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Source: Legit.ng
