Whenever I hear anyone say they are self-made, I always see such individuals as either ignorant or ungrateful. My opinion stems from the fact that nobody can claim to be self-made because we are all recipients of the numerous investments from different individuals from our parents who contributed sperm and egg, to friends, teachers, role models, and mentors along the way. So when Davido recently declared that he and Wizkid opened the doors for other artists and then grouped Burna Boy as a new cat with the likes of Rema, he was, to say the least, going beyond himself. For starters, if there is any Nigerian musician who can make such claims living or dead, it shouldn’t be Davido. After Tuface’s monster hit single African Queen was used as a soundtrack for a Hollywood movie, he did not go to the media to cast aspersions on the new generation like Wizkid and Davido who started winning awards like the MOBO awards. Don Jazzy and Dbanj could even make such statements with some level of credit. But then, they would be wrong because, before them, there was Fela and other greats.

So why did Davido make such a provocative statement? Humans are complex, especially our motives and motivations. So for me to categorically say these are the reasons for his utterances, might be going too far. Nevertheless, I will say if we analyze what has been happening in the Nigerian music sphere and Afrobeat generally, we can say that Davido’s motives can be summarized by two words – economics and envy. Economics because in show business no news is bad news, and often any news is good news. As it is now, Davido’s controversial statement is trending and causing his viewership, rating, and patronage to increase. This has a multiplier effect on his recently released album. He was also careful to exclude Wizkid from his list of new cats. This is a pointer to the fact that this careless statement might be premeditated. Davido might also be envious of the strides of Burna Boy, from winning a Grammy Award to performing in sold-out concerts in stadiums around the world.

The question begging for an answer is Burna Boy a new Cat? The answer depends on what qualifies someone to be a new cat. It seems from Davido’s definition, any musician who became popular after he and Wizkid became well-known, is a new cat. Even if there is some objectivity in this line of thought, putting Burna Boy in the same bowl as Rema, makes the reasoning behind Davido’s statement unreasonable. But I will stop here because just writing about this already makes me a pawn in the game Davido’s marketing team might be playing. The truth about the matter is that all of us, need to up our game. After watching Burna Boy’s performance at the NBA All-Star 2023 Half-time Game, I concluded that he has upped his game and deserves all the accolades coming his way. As we talk, write, or analyze the actions and inactions of stars, let’s remind ourselves that we are all potential stars and we must discover, develop and deplore our God-given talents.

Ata Ukuta, Editor – Towncryyers