Burna Boy is Making Waves as an Ally

…and not in the way you would think.

Burna Boy’s recent collaborations and social media presence implicitly display him as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, which is a huge statement coming from a Nigerian artist.

Burna Boy & Kehlani

The African Giant’s new album, Love, Damini, features Kehlani on the single “Solid.” While Kehlani is a standout in R&B based on talent alone, the artist is queer — preferring she/they pronouns, and also has a large queer following; an unusual thing to see in any type of Afrobeats collaboration. This is likely because of the origins of Afrobeats in Nigeria — a country that takes a significantly heavy stance against homosexuality. It is one of the only countries that still criminalize queerness. In some regions, this is done through imprisonment, and others, by a stoning to death. The fact that Burna Boy made the decision to include a queer artist as a featured one on his album makes a strong statement towards his allyship, without him needing to stand on a podium with a rainbow flag declaring it. By his Nigerian audience being exposed to artists like Kehlani, Burna Boy builds the bridge towards normalizing queerness.

Burna Boy on TikTok

Burna Boy also has a growing TikTok following, and it’s clear to see through the witty and…