His next two releases—2015's On a Spaceship and 2016's Redemption—brought him international attention. Kirk Harding and Baus flew to the U.K. to meet with Burna after discovering his music on Spotify. Over dinner at 805 Restaurant, a beloved South London haunt that's served modern West African cuisine for nearly two decades, they quickly realized that Burna was already a bona fide celebrity. “He walked in with a small group of people, and all of the servers in the place started crying,” Harding recalls with a look of disbelief. “People were running out of the kitchen to see him.”

“It was like a miniature pandemonium,” Baus adds.

“He performed six songs in front of us that night,” Harding says, “and I called Bose the next day and said, ‘Your son is really special.’ ” The success of 2018's Outside and its Kanye West-approved breakout single, “Ye,” proved a portent of things to come.

Along the way, however, there have been bumps that have threatened to derail Burna's rise: There have been a few headline-making scuffles with fellow African artists. But his gritty past has only endeared him to his fans, says Adedeji: “He's a rebel who has been able to fight his demons and triumph against all odds, and they like that story.”

Burna turns philosophical when asked to reflect on the lessons he's learned on his journey. “Unlike a lot of other people, I've had to go through never-ending steps to get here, whereas other people have taken the elevator up,” he shares. “I've always been too heavy for that kind of elevator, so I had to take the stairs. Now I know every floor and everything on every floor.”

His march toward world domination continues. He'll spend most of 2020 on the road, and fans may get new music later this year. “We've already recorded 33 new songs,” Kel-P reveals. If the folks at his label have it their way, he'll be a household name in America. His mother, meanwhile, is focused on longevity. “Look at Stevie Wonder, look at Barbra Streisand, look at Willie Nelson, who's still touring,” she says. “That's what you want. And the only way to have that is you have your own fan base and to be known for something that's true.”

Burna, meanwhile, has dreams of playing a sold-out stadium in China but remains vague when asked about any other ambitions. “As long as we're moving forward, I'm okay,” he says. “It doesn't really matter how many steps forward, just as long as it's continuous, I'm good.”

China will have to wait for now. Tonight, Team Burna has taken over the private room of an Asian-fusion restaurant in downtown Manhattan, and what was meant to be an intimate Grammy-nomination dinner has now morphed into a full-on bacchanal. Gold Mylar balloons that form the word “Giant” sway near the open bar. The Hennessy is flowing. Tracks from Burna's upcoming album flood the speakers. He and his crew are amped and jumping on banquettes. Burna, elated and sweat-drenched, roars triumphantly before bounding onto the makeshift dance floor, where he joins his mother and sister, who are jubilantly waving napkins above their heads. It's just like old times in Port Harcourt for the Ogulu family—but here the power stays on all night long. Burna's party is just getting started.

Lola Ogunnaike is a Nigerian American writer whose work has appeared in ‘The New York Times,’ ‘Rolling Stone,’ ‘Elle,’ and many other publications.

A version of this story appears in the Spring/Summer 2020 issue of GQ Style with the title “Global Giant.”

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

Photographs by Prince Gyasi

Styled by Mobolaji Dawodu

Skin by Tope Onayemi

Tailoring by Julia Olaotan

Produced by Bola Belo at 256 Artistes Ltd.

Location: Ndali’s Place, Ikoyi, Lagos

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