Today we are talking about the immensely talented Nigerian artist Burna Boy, and his breathtaking new album, Twice As Tall. This acts as the follow up to 2019’s Grammy nominated record, African Giant. Twice As Tall is executive produced by American music mogul Diddy, features production by Timbaland, Mike Dean, and a who’s who list of the best African producers working today. We find Burna Boy collaborating with UK rapper Stormzy, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, American legends Naughty By Nature, and a host of talented African artists, includingYoussou N’Dor, and Sauti Sol.
A quick bit of background on Burna Boy before we get into the music. Burna Boy, born Damini Ogulu, hails from Port Harcourt in the Rivers state of Nigeria. He blends Afrobeat, reggae, dancehall, R&B and American style rapping throughout his music. Additionally, he uses his native Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin, and English when it comes to his lyrics. He started as a self-taught producer, going onto study Media Technology at Sussex University (!!!!!!) in the UK, before continuing his education at the Oxford School of Art. He is known for his ability to make music that appeals to a wide range of people without selling his artistry and message short. With Twice As Tall, I firmly believe that he succeeded in balancing those two ideas better than he ever has previously. So, let’s go through this album track by track and see exactly what he does that has led to his worldwide renown.
Level Up (Twice as Tall) Featuring Youssou N’Dour
Ogulu kicks of this album, which was nearly named African Giant 2, in a very similar fashion to that previous body of work. American producer Timbaland crafts a sparse, contemplative instrumental, which Burna Boy uses to reflect on his rise to fame. But before we hear Burna Boy utter a single word, we are met with a sample of a Pat Boone song, which shares the sentiment that, “I’d have to be twice as tall at least/ To feel better than I do.” This leads into Burna Boy explaining that throughout his career, despite his extremely confident demeanor, which to some, borders on arrogance, he has doubted himself time and time again.
He had fears of never being able to “level up,” and seriously considered giving up in his quest to become a star. He addresses his numerous fights he has been in, which has fed into this negative perception that some people have of him. He admits to the pain he felt on the night of the 2019 Grammy’s, as he was hoping to win Best World Album for African Giant. He unfortunately lost in what some considered an upset, and also divulges that he felt envy, as he couldn’t believe he lost. “I remember when I couldn’t level up/ ‘Cause the Grammy’s had me feeling sick as fuck/ Throwing up and shit/ Had a n**** feeling envious/ Asking questions like ‘Why it wasn’t us?”
Despite these negative issues he is focusing on, the major theme of the song is one of perseverance. These hardships have only motivated him to go harder, and to prove everyone wrong. Youssou N’Dour’s chorus hits this nail on the head, singing lines such as “Niafer Ko, Djek Djekal ko,” and “Guemueul sa bop way,” which both translate to “Work on it, perfect it,” and “Believe in yourself,” respectively. Burna Boy takes this to heart, and finishes his final verse of by defiantly declaring that if you knew where he came from, you would understand why he acts the way he acts. He was never “supposed” to be here, filling up stadiums, selling out tours, and reaching the entire world with his art. Despite how beaten down and weary his delivery sounds on this track, it’s impossible not to believe him when he says “I’m a motherfucking legend, and I say it proudly.” He will not compromise or act a specific way just for the sake of fitting in. He is unapologetically himself, and always will be.
Alarm Clock
This is one of the more urgent songs on the album, with Anderson .Paak handling the drums, and Diddy providing a spoken word introduction, as well as the production itself. I love the low, dark piano chords throughout, which are accompanied by an almost ethereal vocal passage after every sting of the keys, which is equally eerie as it is beautiful. Here, we have Burna Boy essentially telling people to wake up. As he as stated to Apple Music, he intends for people to recognize that “We were all Africans before we were anything else.” He seems to be addressing people who talk down on him, and he realizes that he must have achieved a high level of status if now people are seemingly lining up to wish for his downfall. The sentiment of everyone being apart of ‘one people’ rings throughout the entire album. He doesn’t understand why people would spend so much time hating and tearing their own people down, when building each other up is much more productive. This could also serve as a “wake up call” for those who still doubt what he is able to achieve within, and outside of, the music game.
Way Too Big
Despite his pleas and hopes for people to come together, that doesn’t mean Burna Boy can’t find some to deliver a few “fuck you’s” to his enemies. “Way Too Big” feels like it is specifically directed at those within the music industry, whether that be labels or artists, who try to rile him up just to get a headline or response. Burna Boy declares that he hasn’t sold out, while other artists, “sell am for eBay” and that his style in genuine. Despite the bright, massive instrumental provided by Timbaland and Mike Dean, it doesn’t stop him from letting these people know that if “You wanna try/ You go go die iberibe.” Which translated from Igbo basically says that if you’re foolish enough to test him, be prepared for a swift death. Before the chorus hits, he takes his mantra of being “too big” quite literally by saying, “Your back and your spinal cord e go break/ If you carry my weight.”
The defiant chorus sees Burna declaring that he’s “Way too big to be fucking with you,” and “way too cool to be losing my cool.” He’s the African Giant after all, and despite his few controversial moments, he doesn’t have time for little people trying to drag him down. His second verse features some great lines in his wonderful melodic flow, referring back to a few well known African artists.
“Before my life changed, I lived in a movie/Used to roll with the shank just like Julie/ Still Popcaan ‘cause I’m unruly/Beat my case ‘cause of hung jury/ Took my place as the shine shin bobo/ Of the Nigerian brewery.”
He addresses some of his legal issues there as well, as he was found to be uninvolved in an alleged 2016 robbery plot. Again, despite the bright, afro-beat instrumentals he tends to find himself over, he is never afraid to address his own faults and missteps head on, which is definitely admirable. He won’t allow for other people to write his story without him ensuring the facts are included accurately.
Bebo
Here, we get another slightly understated, more mellow beat from Nigerian producer RexxiePonDaBeat. Admittedly, given the language barrier and slang heavy lyrics that Burna Boy uses, I was having a little trouble finding good, or in some cases any, translation for parts of the lyrics. However, via his interivew with Apple Music, he does shed some light on what “Bebo” means, which gave me a decent idea as to what the song itself is getting at. Burna Boy explains “Bebo is a slang word and you can basically use it to describe the kinda guy you’ll invite out and he’s ordering the bar. All the bottles he’s reaching for, but when it’s time to pay up, he’s gone, you see it? That’s the word for those kinda weird guys.”
So with that in mind, the song feels like a kiss off to those kind of people. “What you gonna do when I get back?/ Left and you thought you could trespass,” is him confronting that type of “weird guy” head on, since Burna Boy clearly does not take kindly to being used or exploited just because of his status. This track fits into that trend of easy going, relatively breezy instrumentation accompied with more confrontational, slightly darker subject matter than expected. And yet again, it works wonderfully.
Wonderful
It’s always nice when the title of a song perfection encapsulates exactly how the song itself makes the listener feel. We are treated to some absolutely stunning accapella harmonizing, as Burna and company passionately sing, “Anywhere I go mo n’lati pada si ile mi/ ‘Cause mama mi on wa ni ile mi.” Thanks to some translations on Genius, this roughly comes out to “Anywhere I go, I’m going back home, because my mama’s home.” This could mean a couple things, including that Mother Africa is considered to be the home of all people, and on a smaller scale, that home and comfort are intrinsically tied to one’s mother. As Burna Boy has stated on other tracks here, he is stressing this coming together of people, whether that be through music or other cultural means. In this case, he uses the track to show the amazing power that music can have in expressing feeling and helping to give individuals a common ground to experience something wonderful together.
Music can have this overwhelming, almost mystical power, taking over your body and transporting you to a different place, like when he says “something dey scratch me/ Kon be like jazz.” He also makes sure to mention how much of a hard worker he is, comparing himself to Harvard grad and Billionaire Adebayo Ogunlesi, not allowing any room for someone to call him lazy, which has been a phrase used agains the youth of Nigeria by Muhammadu Buhari, the current Nigerian president. Hell, the propulsive, beautiful instrumental makes makes me want to get up and dance, and for anyone who knows me, I’m not one to dance. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing, you’ve got Burna Boy to blame.
Onyeka (Baby)
Here we have another more care-free, relatively cute song and instrumental. It is filled with strumming strings and expressive horn sections, as Burna Boy puts together a pretty straightforward love song. The title references Onyeka Onwenu, who is a Nigerian singer, activist, actress, journalist and politician. Her nickname is “Elegant Stallion,” and Burna Boy is describing a woman who is gorgeous like Onyeka is, but someone who is also intelligent, motivated, and not afraid to stand up for herself; Someone who is beautiful in mind and spirit.
Throughout the track, Burna Boy expresses his love for his two favorite things: women and money. It isn’t the deepest, or most thought provoking song here, but we do get a hilarious line in “Your body make me stronger, feeling like Jackie Chan.” He then says “But if you use me shine, I no go pick up your call.” Again, even in a tongue-in-cheek love song, he sticks by his sentiment that he is not one to be used. Despite his admissions here of loving women and probably having more than one partner at a time, he does his best to treat them with respect and you get the sense that he truly does admire any woman that he spends his time with. That feeling is reinforced by the chorus, when he sings, “Make I no go make mistake e o/ And if you leave, I go craze e o.” Even someone as strong as Burna Boy would crumble a bit if he messes up and loses a woman he’s crazy about.
Naughty By Nature featuring Naughty By Nature
Burna Boy has admitted that when he was young, a Naughty By Nature song was one of the first tracks he memorized and listened to religiously. So for him, this is a massive moment, actually being able to work with artists that he has looked up to his entire life. It’s hard not to be happy for him in that regard. Again, he continues down the mostly breezy, light-hearted afrobeat style much of the album has employed. It is a bit more rap centric than previous tracks, which showcases the way that he can seamlessly meld different styles and cultures all into one package.
Topically, he is again talking about his rise from nothing, to being a massive star. “’Til today I dey the same because I can’t change/ I be naughty by nature, I be gang-gang,” makes it clear again that he will always be the same person he was back then, despite the cars, diamonds and fame he has now. Vin Rock and Treach provide solid verses in the vein as Burna Boy, with Treach hitting a nice flow, rapping, “Heard I’m a earner, had to earn a burner/ Trigga n****, Naughty Nation, marshal arsenal/ Never had to use burner-burners.” It is a little heart warming to hear both Burna Boy and Naughty By Nature reference each other, which lends to the fact that this was a true collaboration and something like a dream come true for Burna Boy. Staying on brand, it wouldn’t be a Burna Boy song if we didn’t get a little threatening over a beautiful beat. Before the track ends, he declares “Some people think it’s a game, like Connect Four/ ‘Til I rise the ting and dem collect four/ I come extort/ Give me both, mine and yours/ Silent war/ You never know who could be next door.”
Comma
This is another slightly more uptempo track, with another propulsive instrumental provided by Rexxie. As Burna Boy explains to Apple Music, comma is another slang term. “A ‘comma’ is the way we would use it to say something, but then explain stuff that comes after it as the comma. Like the baggage, or everything else that comes with it that’s not quite right- that’s the comma.” In this case, he is specifically talking about women and their “commas.” He describes a situation where he’s really feeling a girl, but something just doesn’t feel right. “Something de miss oh comma/ I suspect you, oh.” He goes on to realize that this girl has fake breasts, a fake ass, and appears to bleach her skin.
On the surface level, this may come off as a bit of weird body shaming, or shaming women for improving their bodies artificially, but I don’t exactly think that’s the point here. It is a little too playful to feel so cynical, and he never overtly expresses displeasure in that regard. It falls more into the “everything is not quite what it seems,” categorization. I may just be giving him the benefit of the doubt, considering he’s shown a pretty high level of respect to women in previous songs, but I guess it does feel like he’s throwing a little shade at these type of women. But considering he does say on “Onyeka (Baby),” “You done do you booty, now your body better,” I don’t think he is overtly talking down on women in this sense. But still it may not be the kind of message I am fully on board with, but I’ve heard Future and countless other artists say MUCH more toxic things about the women in his life, without the praise and admiration that Burna also includes in his song. No to mention that most of those songs don’t have the danceable energy that Burna brings here.
No Fit Vex
We get back to a much more staight forward message here. LeriQ gives Burna Boy another bright, peppy instrumental that fits what he is saying perfectly. “No Fit Vex,” as explained by Burna Boy, essentially means “no hard feelings.” “This is a personal track for me also, because it’s a way of speaking on any situation I might have had in the past along this journey. Even if we don’t fuck with each other like that anymore, it happened and that’s life,” he explains.
On the chorus, he says that he understands everyone has their struggles and he can’t necessarily hold that against them. Even if it is someone he has fallen out of favor with, he still proclaims that “When I hear better news about you, I smile and it dey ginger my soul.” It’s a mature mindset that certainly isn’t easy to achieve; One where you are truly happy for someone and their success, regardless of the personal things you both went through in the past. He even goes as far as to say that if you don’t know him, you may think he is “Kolo,” or crazy for thinking this way. And in that case, his only response would be that he “has no fit vex for you.” This sentiment extends to those in his personal life, as well as to his contemporaries within the music industry that he may have had beef with at one point in time.
23
Burna Boy adds this track into the ever-growing lexicon of Michael Jordan inspired tracks. However, unlike say, Kendrick Lamar’s borderline goofy and bombastic “Michael Jordan,” we see Burna Boy take a much, much more restrained, emotional route. He has a soft rasp in his voice that adds a ton of emotion to every word he says. This is much less inspired by Michael Jordan celebrating aggressively with champagne and a cigar after winning a championship, but seems to be channeling the Michael Jordan that felt overwhelmed and lonely in his hotel room because he can’t live his life normally. It incorporates the same overflow of emotion after Jordan lost his father, and then sealed a series victory on Father’s Day. You feel a burden here, like his spine is close to breaking, as he mentioned it never would previously on the record. He does mention that this was written when he was watching “The Last Dance,” and that the desire to make those better around him, to make sacrifices behind close doors, is what really inspired this song.
Despite his declaration that “Music make me feel I be Jordan,” he says “Nkan ti mori/ Olun mi o so tan,” just a few lines later. This translates to “The things I’ve seen, God, I haven’t finished speaking on them.” So despite the money, success, and level of importance he has achieved, there is still much more to come in terms of addressing his struggles and path that he took to get here. He will continue to defend himself from anyone trying to take him down. That is what he means when he says:
“Hypocrite plenty gan/ Wey dey pretendi gan ni/ Nah take me friends them from me/ Them ah identical to the devil gan ni/ I dey see them/ Won po bi/ But emi kilokanmi/ I go be all I can be/ Oluwaburna ma pami.”
The fake people around him do not concern him, and he will continue to carry himself like Oluwaburna (God Burna) no matter what, just like Michael Jordan carried himself to success by any means necessary. This is Burna Boy at his most contemplative, and “23” is right up there with my favorite songs on the record.
Time Flies Featuring Sauti Sol
After the emotional heft of “23,” we return back to a much more playful, carefree song in “Time Flies,” which features Kenyan group Sauti Sol. This song is all about the passage of time, and understanding that no matter what you do, time won’t stop. So in the meantime, live it up and have some fun! In Sauti Sol’s native Swahili, they share lines like “Siwezi wacha rhumba,” “Siwezi kuwacha vodka,” and “nah saichi vela,” which all essentially mean “I will never stop partying, drinking vodka, and smoking weed.” There is also a cool little reference to the song “Pass the Dutchie.”
It’s another song that invites you to stand up, forget about your problems, and just dance. As the song begins to fade out, we here Bose Ogulu, Burna Boy’s mother and manager, share a spoken word outro. “From the Niger Delta, to all the corners of Africa, America and the world, Black people are turning the tables, taking back out place. We will be heard because we matter.” This may seem out of place on a track like this, but is serves as the perfect introduction to the most emotionally charged and fiery song that I have ever heard from Burna Boy.
Monsters You Made Featuring Chris Martin
The whiplash from such a laid-back, chill song, to “Monsters You Made,” is jarring, and very intentional. The immense, stadium shaking instrumental fits the message here to a T. There’s no way to ignore the palpable anger in every single word that Burna Boy utters. In a way, this song could deserve it’s entire separate piece, so strap in for this section to be a bit longer than the other songs. It truly deserves it. I also think it’s especially telling that every word here is in English as well, meaning that he isn’t allowing anything to be lost in translation. I may have missed lyrics here and there that were in his native tongue, but on this track, there is no chance of that happening. You’re forced to listen and take in every single thing he is saying. Chris Martin being here is massive as well. Burna Boy admitted that his inclusion was to increase it’s appeal to a worldwide audience. This is a message that he wants to reach those that may misinterpret, or perpetuate lies about Africans, their culture, and their actual history.
In the first verse, we see Burna Boy directly addressing situations in his native Nigeria, and more specifically, Rivers, his home state. He describes a bleak reality where constant conflict is “why [they’re] strapped with the K’s,” and that extreme levels of turmoil and pain are part of everyday life. He paints a vivid picture that reflects not only the civilian on civilian violence that occurs as a result of the militarization of the population as a whole, but also the tendency of violence to be used by politicians against activists, civilians and their rivals.
“Not knowing how to behave/ That is a sign that you may/ Just lose your life, what a waste/ Your body found in a lake/ You fucked around and the fisherman/ Found you drowning for days,” gives you a glimpse into the dire consequences they face. They live a life that is “surrounded by pain,” where they get absolutely no sympathy or assistance from those in power, and are forced to pretend to be happy.
“It’s like the heads of the state/ Ain’t comprehending the hate/ That the oppressed generate/ When they’ve been working like slaves/ To get some minimum wage/ You turn around and you blame/ Them for their anger and rage/ Put them in shackles and chains/ Because of what they became/ We are the monsters you made.”
While this is directly related to the reality in Nigeria, Burna Boy himself has stated, and as he did on the intro as well, that this is a universal, worldwide problem. Clearly, this ties directly into the disgusting reprehensible history that America has in regards to it’s treatment and oppression of black people as well. And yet, just as we saw back in the days of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X, the same people who have experienced nothing but hate and oppression ever since their ancestors were first stolen from their homelands, are the ones who get blamed for their situation and hardships. The inability for so many people in this world to simply understand where this justified anger and rage comes from will never cease to make my blood boil.
It’s like you have someone sitting on your chest, punching you in the face over and over and over and over and over and over again. You can’t move and you’re damn near on your last leg. Then, you finally muster up the strength to punch back a single time. “What!? Did you just punch me!?” the asshole would scream. “Well yeah, you’ve been beating the shit out of me, can I not defend myself? What would you expect?” you would say in response. And then in return, the abuse and oppression gets even WORSE, and you’re met with, “Well if you didn’t want this, you shouldn’t have punched me!” Like they weren’t the one doing the punching in the first place. How fucking outrageous does that sound? Just outrageous enough to be reality.
The second verse is where Burna Boy really let’s his anger out full-force. He isn’t one to censor himself, but the vulgarity, accompanied with the slight autotune that accentuates the cracking, wavering nature of his voice, allow you to feel all of the emotion pouring out of him. He addresses the colonization of Nigeria, and the broken education system, which tends to focus on falsehoods written by the colonizers. This creates a double standard of being judged for skipping school, or not taking it seriously, when many Nigerians understood what they were being taught is just flat out false.
“The teacher dem teaching/ What the white man dem teaching/ Dem European teachings in my African school/ So fuck the classes in school/ Fuck Mungo Park and the fool/ That said they found river Niger/ They’ve been lying to you.”
Mungo Park is the garbage Scottish explorer who claimed to have discovered the Niger River Delta, completely ignoring the fact that native Nigerians had been living there for generations. But remember, it hasn’t actually happened until a white man did it! Nigerians were forced to then learn in English, despite already having their own native languages, allowing the explorers’ “discoveries” to be perpetuated as fact. Because it was not previously documented in English, they took the opporunity to take credit for work they didn’t actually do. This bastardization of Nigerian culture and history has lead to many Nigerians refusing to learn or speak their own native languages because they have been told for so long that English is the only acceptable language. Their culture and history has literally been erased, as the school systems refused to provide them with the true timeline of events, especially pre-colonization. They aren’t taught Nigerian history in their own classes. Imagine the outrage that would crop up in this country if we didn’t learn American History in our classes. It’s hard to, comprehend because it seems like such a fundamental thing, despite the massive shortcomings of the education system in America. Now try to understand that the most populated country in Africa has been neglected to the point where they aren’t even given the privilege of learning about their own people and history.
All of this exploitation is happening while mothers are crying, countless young people dying, and the people of Nigeria are struggling. The anger comes to a head in the second half of this verse, where he declares he and his people are fed up, and are happy to die if it means progress being made, and his people being better of in the long run. There is no more time to listen to bullshit excuses for why things have not improved.
“Come walk a mile in my shoes/ See if you smile at the truth/ See if you digest your food/ That’s when you might have a clue/ Of what the fuck we go through/ You’re fucking lucky if you/ Live through the day, better pray/ The reaper be coming for you/ We need a change and it ain’t no way I’ma take an excuse/ My n***** findin’ a way/ Or fuckin’ smile in the grave/ This is the price that you pay/ We are the monsters you made.”
This also touches on the disgusting lack of empathy in people, not only in America, but around the world. That is coupled with many possessing absolutely no desire to search for the roots of these issues. It’s 2020, and idiots still believe that black people are lesser; less civilized, less intelligent, less worthy of success and love. How many of us were taught about the brutal history of slavery? Or that the founders of this country, the same people who declared that “all men are created equal,” owned slaves themselves? How fucking long will it take for any of those hollow platitudes to become a reality?
I urge anyone and everyone to educate themselves. Read. Listen. Seek out the history and locate the roots as to why we continue to have a massive percentage of our population that are still fighting the same fight that brought about the Civil Rights Movement. Actually earn why these apparent “shithole” countries have earned such an awful reputation, despite the beautiful, eclectic cultures they posses; Despite the fact that the continent’s current situation is directly related to colonization and exploitation. I’m not perfect, nor do I know everything. But I also understand the importance of addressing these issues head on, and continuously changing your mindset to make room for new information.
As incredible as the song and music video are, it all goes to waste without action. I saw a youtube comment that shared this same idea. This is a song, but it is also stands as a call to action. It is just one of a million actions that can, and hopefully will, lead to change. Without that action though, our brothers and sisters will never see the same level of comfortability and acceptance that many of us had ordained to us before we were even a thought in our parent’s brains.
Wetin Dey Sup
After the powerhouse that is “Monsters You Made,” we get a much more mellow, but still slighty confrontational track in “Wetin Dey Sup.” The title translates to “what is going on,” which based on how it is delivered, can be a friendly question, or a little more interrogative. The horns the sync up with the chorus are really nice here, as Burna Boy let’s everyone know that he is much more about action than talking. He employs a, let’s say, ‘interesting phrase,’ as a metaphor for the way that he is not afraid to take responsibility for his actions. He says, “I no be one of these men wey dey fear toto fuck yash.” Basically, he’s saying he is not one of those guys who opts for anal sex, over vaginal sex, out of fear of impregnating the woman. I read that this is a common idiom in southern Nigeria to signify someone who is not afraid to step up to the challenge.
He employs his choppy flow again to say, “I come with the gang/ Dem know say we bad to the max/ We no come here to come gallivant/ I dey tell paddy man/ Cause I wise like elderly man.”
He isn’t here to play any games, and after the last track, it is hard to doubt his intelligence in any regard. Burna Boy is able to share simple truths about how the world works with lines such as, “They only respect the money and the violence/ So I get to show dem wetin dey sup.” This isn’t a complete 180 from “Monsters You Made,” but it does find a nice little middle ground where it is a bit more laid back, but Burna Boy still comes with that same type of conviction in his voice. Additionally, he continues to show how he can seamlessly alternate between more western rapping styles and his singing voice in the same song, and sometimes, even in the same line.
Real Life Featuring Stormzy
As the title suggests, this is another case of Burna Boy addressing real issues in his life, and essentially explaining a lot about who he is as a person. It also features the UK superstar Stormzy, who handles the chorus and a few refrains. My only gripe with this entire album would be the lack of a true verse from Stormzy, but this track does give him the chance to flex his singing voice nonetheless. While not overly powerful, he has improved greatly over the years, and Stormzy is right at home here. He truly holds his own with Burna Boy, who was largely considered a singer before he started rapping more and more. So in that regard, it’s cool to see them essentially flip roles.
Burna Boy lets us know that despite his status, he isn’t one to be fucked with. “I might just decide to slide on my enemies. I go along on a glide for the hell of it.” He’s probably got other people to handle that for him, but he isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty if he needs to. Some mafia boss shit. He also addresses people in the internet age of creating drama for some quick, cheap notoriety.
“I never subscribe to guys on the internet/ Living for the clout, letting lies to the press again/ Better don’t take me for the fool, I ain’t never been/ Don’t bother with, I’m wise when I’m checkin’ in.”
Considering his ability to intelligently break down the history of his country and people, it isn’t anything for him to dispel some stupid internet rumors. Stormzy delivers a nice line in the chorus with “Yes, we are blessed, but it’s harder to see sometimes/ Tryna find my peace of mind,” and with his history of mental health issues, and his openness about those issues, this definitely feels true to him. The last verse we see Burna Boy continue to share that being true to ones self is the most important thing there is. “Nobody is an island/ But if dem wan fuck you for nyash, mek you no lie down,” sees him explain that just because you may need others to help you, does not mean you need to compromise who you are as a person. Do not let people fuck you over and use you. Even thought there are plenty of postive, danceable songs, that is not the purpose of this song, which is clear when he says “But now I’m tryna ride, fuck a good time.” This is business Burna.
Bank On It
With “Bank On It,” Burna Boy wraps up the album, and everything he has said throughout, on an emotional and vulnerable note. It acts just as much as a prayer to God to keep him safe, as it stands as yet another reiteration of his confidence in himself. He admits that we all face hardships, and that we all must rely on others in certain times. Despite his boasting and confident declarations, he is not so bigheaded as to forget who he really is. “So forgive me if I fumble/ ‘Cause I’m only human,” he pleads. His delivery is understated, but there is no major instrumentation fighting for attention. You are able to hear and hang on his every word.
He’s “paranoid and confused,” and pleads to God, “Protect me Lord, I cannot trust my neighbors/ Be my savior/ When that day comes/ Defend me from my enemies and my neighbors.” The chorus juxtaposes these ideas of weakness and paranoia, as he seems to find his confidence once again. “You can bank on it/ You can put a hundred grand pon it/ Anything I said I stand pon it.” In a serious song, I can’t help but smile and giggle a little bit every time he says “Show them Gangnam style, put the gang on ‘em.” I just never thought we would be getting Psy references in 2020. I fucking love it.
Burna continues to bare his soul as he says, “Different type of evil available/ And any one fo them can killi you/ At anytime anything can happen, oh/ Any one of us could have been Pop Smoke/ We must go when the most high call us/ So I’m paranoid, borderline bipolar/ Wear my best and clean my gun up/ I ain’t going out, breda.”
He is clearly refferencing the tragic death of rapper Pop Smoke, whom Burna Boy actually lived just down the street from in LA when Pop was murdered in a home invasion. Burna Boy understands that the odds of a similar thing happening to him are very real, and that is why he is so paranoid. Even if he believes that God has a plan, and that everyone’s time comes eventually, that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to fight like hell to make sure he is not added to the list of people who have been taken before they were supposed to go. The chrous kicks back in with the addition of a bordlerline angleic choir, ramping up the emotional energy.
The short second verse has Burna Boy advising us that, “To ba lowo jo Na jo/ To ba lomo ko Na jo/ Nobody know tomorrow,” which translates to “if you have money, be dancing,” and “if you have a child, be dancing.” Celebrate what you have while you can, before it’s too late. In the same verse, he threatens that “If ah boy feel macho/ Make him lead red like ah tomato/ If him nuh dead them him comatose.” Again, nobody will stop Burna Boy from living his life to the fullest. He declares that “No forget say me come from Port Harcourt,” and the choir returns, providing a feeling of exaltation as the voices overlap and harmonize with one another. I am not religious, or overly spiritual, but I am an extremely emotional person. During the last leg of this song, it is very difficult not to be overwhelmed with emotion, to the point where I’ve had tears welling up in my eyes without really realizing it. Burna Boy’s ability to transplant his emotions directly into you is absolutely astonishing, and really just a testament to his talent and power as an artist and human being.
Conclusion
Just as with my other longer reviews/pieces, I would hope my thoughts on this album are clear at this point. There are still a few months left in the year, but unless Kendrick drops a To Pimp a Butterfly level masterpiece, I don’t think Twice As Tall will be topped by anyone this year, no matter if you are talking American, UK, African or any other artists. This is an album that somehow adds, and improves upon the template he set on African Giant. There isn’t a single song that I dislike, and only one or two that are slightly below the standard of the rest of the album, including “Comma,” who’s message does feel a little contradictory to most of his ideas.
This deserves so much attention. So please, if you like this as much as I do, or just enjoyed it in any capacity, share it with someone. Check out his previous album African Giant as well. Burna Boy is an absolute gift to the world, and I am thankful to have been exposed to his music when I was.
I do have one last thought I’d like to leave you with. As I said in the segment about the opening track, Burna Boy is apologetically himself, butabove all, he is unapologetically African. In a climate where Black Americans are being murdered at historical rates by the very people who are supposed to be protecting this countries inhabitants, and where African countries have been left in relative shambles after being raped of their culture, goods, resources and people by foreign terrorists for decades upon decades, this album is so important. No, that isn’t an attempt to sound like some “woke” white dude, nor do I think just by listening to an album and appreciating it do you automatically become “better” or on the “right side,” of these social issues. I do, however, think it can act as an important springboard for those who do really care. It serves as a call to action, and if it takes a talented artist like Burna Boy to get certain people to become invested in the movement for equality, and to do their own research into the horrible historical timeline that has existed ever since the first European arrived on the shores of Africa, then I think Burn Boy achieved something massive here.
So again, I urge everyone to learn, listen and do whatever they can to help bring awareness and to fight for change. Enjoy the fun, carefree songs here just as much as the more politically charged and urgent songs. But please do not forget that this is all so much bigger than us, and despite how fucked and bleak everything is right now, it’s up to all of us to turn this anger and outrage into positive change.
Burna Boy’s Socials