Grammy-winning artist Burna Boy has opened up about a period in his life when he felt a stronger connection to Jamaican culture than to his Nigerian roots.
In an interview with Capital Xtra in London, the Afrofusion star shared how living in Brixton, UK, immersed him in Caribbean culture and shaped his early identity.
He revealed that his first exposure to Jamaican music came from his father, who often played reggae legends like Super Cat, sparking a deep appreciation that only grew stronger during his time in the UK.
“Jamaica has always been a part of me — from my dad playing Super Cat and stuff when I was a kid to me ending up in Brixton, when almost every Nigerian in the UK was either in school or in Peckham. I ended up in Brixton,” he said.
Burna Boy explained that the environment around him at the time was predominantly Jamaican and Caribbean, with very few Nigerians in his circle. This led him to feel more Jamaican than Nigerian during that phase of his life.
“So, I considered myself more Jamaican at the time simply for the fact that everyone around me was Jamaican and Caribbean. There were minimal Nigerians around me at that time. When I go back home to Nigeria, I’m really a Nigerian. But when I was here, I was Jamaican. Even the Africans who were my guys were not Nigerians. They were Gambians, Ugandans, and Congolese. There were only two Nigerians in my crew,” he recalled.
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Although he now fully embraces his Nigerian heritage, Burna Boy said his music continues to reflect a blend of both cultures—rooted in Afrobeats, but heavily influenced by reggae and dancehall.
