Burna Boy, Nigerian Afrofusion artist and African Giant, is gearing up for the release of his highly anticipated album, I Told Them… In a recent interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, he opened up about his journey in the music industry, traveling the world, the substance (or lack thereof) of Afrobeats, the collaborations on his forthcoming album, and the deeper meaning behind the title of the album.

I Told Them… features an amazing lineup of collaborations. Artists like Seyi Vibez, RZA, Dave, and J. Cole lend their talents to the project. On the RZA feature, Burna Boy explains, “It’s been a great honour, man. He wasn’t there. We weren’t personally in the studio together when he did it, but when he sent the first draft to me, I could just feel the energy, it’s like most of the shit is about, he’s connecting things that have to do with photography, shit that has to do with the vision, like photographic shit. And he’s made the whole thing, he combined and interlocked and it’s just crazy.”

Burna Boy goes further to discuss his perceptions of Afrobeats. He claims, “Afrobeats, as people call it, it’s mostly about nothing, literally nothing. There’s no substance to it. Nobody’s talking about anything. It’s just a great time, it’s an amazing time. But at the end of the day, life is not an amazing time.”

To conclude, for Burna Boy, this album is more than just a collection of songs; it is proof of his resilience and determination. The title I Told Them…, reflects his confidence in his own abilities and his unflinching belief in himself.

In the interview, he emphasized the importance of recognition and the satisfaction that comes from silencing doubters. “That’s the thing I’ve beat my chest the most about. It’s the fact that, yeah, not only did I do it on my own terms and all that, I did it against all odds. You know what I mean? And against the wishes of the powers that be in my environment. You know what I mean? So yeah, it’s something I’m really proud of,” the African Giant affirms.

Watch the full interview here: