American television host and filmmaker Steve Harvey has stated that, contrary to popular belief, Burna Boy and other African artists did not steal from American music.
Rather, he continued, African beats, rhythm, and soul are what inspire the West, particularly America.
“People claim Burna Boy stole this, no we stole from Burna Boy. Africans are the beats, soul, rhythm, and hard work that inspire our courage,” the comedian said in a recent episode of his television show.
In an interview with Apple Music last year, Burna Boy reportedly stated that he does not perform the popular West African music known as “Afrobeats,” but rather “Afrofusion,” which he defined as a fusion of African music components with American hip-hop, R&B, soul, and Jamaican dancehall and reggae.
At the 66th Grammy Awards, he received a nomination for Best Melodic Rap Performance, making history as the first African musician to receive a nomination in the historically Western-only rap category.
There were accusations in some parts of the West that Burna Boy was trying to appropriate Western musical style, even though Lil Durk won the award.
