They would have rallied around him and shown solidarity if he had not portrayed them as inconsequential to his success story. They would have come to his aid and stoutly stood in his defence if he had not spurned them and cast them adrift during his meteoric rise to fame which they played a key role in.
Unlike the business of music and the entertainment industry in general, only a handful of professions allow one to evade public scrutiny and accountability. Fame exists in a vacuum; hence, celebrities, by reason of their popularity and clout, have immense ability to shape and influence the narrative about them. They are capable of engineering their own glory and success and can also orchestrate, whether wittingly or unwittingly, their own downfall.
In recent weeks, the media has been abuzz with reactions to an incident that occurred at Burna Boy’s concert in Denver, United States. The incident involved the artist and a couple who came to the concert. Burna Boy kicked a lady out of the concert claiming she was pensive, slothful and not vibing to his songs. He would go on to defend his actions, stating that he does not want anyone whose actions and posturing undermine the public perception and success of his concert. He likened the incident to passengers infuriating pilots or students disrupting classrooms, emphasising that even talent does not entitle fans to disrupt a performance.
The incident ignited debate: should artistes get the leeway and latitude to act as they want without consequences because of their status and talent ? Do fans have a moral right to step in when a renowned and highly revered artiste acts in ways they find abhorrent? These questions echo far beyond Nigeria, highlighting the global dynamics of modern celebrity behaviour. What must be said here and now is that the tide of public opinion has shifted against Burna Boy in the aftermath of his ejection of the couple from his concert. His brand and image have taken a severe hit. Many people will tell you that the backlash and castigation that greeted his action were deserved.
The Denver incident also drew attention from popular international artists. Eminem and Rihanna have condemned his action. Their reaction underscores how the contemporary music industry transcends geographical, cultural and social barriers: an event or incident involving an artist in one place can gain global traction, shaping perceptions among peers, fans, and the media.
His treatment of the couple has not only immensely hampered his ongoing tour of North America, with many people cancelling their plans to attend, but it has also severely dented his image and reputation. This is not the first time he has been treating a fan with less than desirable behaviour, but this is the first time such behaviour has had brutal and devastating consequences for him. There are many cases of him treating people who attended his show and concert in Nigeria with contempt and scorn.
While many Nigerians are at best indifferent to his ordeal and at worst delighted that he is finally getting the long-awaited and much-needed comeuppance for treating them so arrogantly and with condescension, we must be careful not to destroy and pull down one of our own irrespective of his objectionable attitudes towards us and what we stand for. For all his eccentric tendencies and megalomaniacal disposition which have made him deeply unpopular among many Nigerians, he has become an indispensable icon to Nigerian music’s global ambitions. His global clout and exceptional artistry have become the inexhaustible oil that has kept the torch of afrobeat burning.
He has acted recklessly and irresponsibly, and he pretty much deserves much of the reproach that has come his way. You cannot humiliate and subject to indignity people who have joyfully come to appreciate and celebrate your art with contempt. The least they deserve after spending their time and resources to grace your show is to be treated with respect and dignity no matter how you feel about their body language and demeanour at your show.
Having said that, the glee and satisfaction at his travails are concerning. No one should want Burna Boy to fail or hope for his downfall. However, his continued success or future failure in the industry will be largely determined by him and not the wishful thinking of those who begrudge his success even if many have valid reasons for doing so.
He does not appear to realise the extent to which providence has entrusted him with the onerous task of helping millions of his compatriots fulfil their artistic dreams. His sterling musical career, engendered by his mastery and refinement of Afrobeats, has elevated a nation and instilled global pride in our culture. Afrobeats erased our collective shame and guilt, refined and polished Nigeria’s sullied image, and made us a force to be reckoned with worldwide. Burna made this possible by doing the heavy lifting with his remarkable works and discographies.
Unfortunately, he has not been able to reciprocate the courtesy and reverence with which Nigerians treat him. In this trying period, the Nigerians should ordinarily be the buffer to absorb and reduce the impact of the global cancel culture campaign if they had not alienated them. They would have rallied around him and shown solidarity if he had not portrayed them as inconsequential to his success story. They would have come to his aid and stoutly stood in his defence if he had not spurned them and cast them adrift during his meteoric rise to fame which they played a key role in.
One can only hope that this embarrassing and unfortunate episode becomes a teachable moment for him and makes him reflect deeply and change his highly controversial ways. What he represents, which is an inimitable figure who has continued to use his musical prowess to put the nation on the global map, is far too important to be allowed to melt away in the furnace of cancel culture.
We must continue to hold him responsible for his actions without burning the bridges he built for himself and the one we built for him. We must point out his mistakes and highlight his missteps in a manner that does not set him up for failure because, at the end of the day, what he stands for is bigger than this moment. After all, when all is said and done, Burna Boy is, like the rest of us, a mere mortal with his shortcomings.
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