He rose to prominence in 2012 after releasing the lead single "Like to Party" from his debut studio album, L.I.F.E (2013). In 2017, Burna Boy signed with Bad Habit/Atlantic Records in the United States and Warner Music Group internationally. His third studio album Outside (2018) marked his major-label debut. In 2019, he won Best International Act at the 2019 BET Awards
Damini Ogulu was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.[5] His father managed a welding company and his mother worked as a translator. Benson Idonije is his grandfather.[6] Ogulu grew up in southern Nigeria
Burna Boy's fourth studio album African Giant was released on July 26, 2019. It has been supported by six singles: "Gbona", "On the Low", Killin Dem", "Dangote", "Anybody" and "Pull Up". He began recording the album in 2018. He told Billboard magazine that the album is his most personal yet. He first revealed plans to release the album in April 2019, and held a private listening session in Los Angeles. Photos and videos from the listening session were shared on social media. African Giant was initially announced as a 16-track album.
In order to promote the album, Burna Boy will headline the African Giant Returns tour, the second leg of his African Giant tour
thanks
Burna Boy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is this the motherfucking thanks I get
For making my people proud every chance I get? (Yeah)
It's okay, I get (Cole World)
This Naija, no love
Only Jah know where it started from
Oluwa Burna still apply pressure
Ooh, ooh, who be that person
I showed you how to really do this thing
Oluwa Burna na the blueprint of course
And I gave you Afrofusion
No words can describe all of my waka waka
No place I no go to
If e dey hurt you, na like this I dey hustle
E go take your mind, woto, woto, oh, no
Passa passa, oh, no
Sare sare, oh, no
Ki ya ma sa, oh, no
Taye taye, oh, no
Jaye, jaye, oh, no, o, oh, no
You go dey reason am rough, rough
Oh, no
Passa, passa, oh, no
Sare, sare oh, no
Ki ya ma sa, oh, no
Soro, soro, oh, no
Laye, laye, o
Oh
Is this the motherfucking thanks I get?
Too many people no dey fear God
What you think He created hell for?
Mankind so jealous
Wetin dem no know dem dey tell us, tell us
Oluwa mi fe mo
Oluwa Burna moti jelo
My fall is unheard of
You never hear them say I fell off, fell off
E go take your mind, woto, woto, oh, no
Passa passa, oh, no
Sare sare, oh, no
Ki ya ma sa, oh, no
Taye taye, oh, no
Jaye, jaye, oh, no, o, oh, no
You go dey reason am rough, rough
Oh, no
Passa, passa, oh, no
Sare, sare oh, no
Ki ya ma sa, oh, no
Soro, soro, oh, no
Laye, laye, o
Oh
Is this the motherfucking thanks I get?
You say my mama dance for Fela
You say I no get baby mama
You say that I'm cancelled again
You say I shoot pesin for Cubana (yeah)
Because I wan collect pesin woman (that's how they act, right?)
Is this the motherfucking thanks I get
For making my people proud every chance I get?
Burna and me, been runnin' this shit for eternity
I fathered a couple of styles, I'm takin' paternity leave
Permanently, they hate, and I'm brushin' the dirt off my sleeve
Steadily talkin' Ms to me, it's like I'm learnin' to read
Sounded it out, takin' my time, countin' it out, slowly
Dust collectin' on the Rollie, me and these beats is holy
Matrimony, feelin' like Axel Foley
In Beverly Hills, coppin' whatever I feel
Cole and Burna, Shaq and Kobe
Winnin' a ring, then we gon' repeat and three-peat
Them nerds hate, they seat geeks
They peepin' us on the low, we like the cheat sheet
Get paid for phrases, I don't believe in free speech
I said it, I meant it, no take backs
I don't even need the receipts, so please miss me with the PC
I be in NYC on a bike with the hood up like I'm E.T
These rappers ain't like me, I'm knee-deep in the concrete
Forever cemented, don't you ever forget it
E go take your mind, woto, woto, oh, no
Passa passa, oh, no
Sare sare, oh, no
Ki ya ma sa, oh, no
Taye taye, oh, no
Jaye, jaye, oh, no, o, oh, no
You go dey reason am rough, rough
Oh, no
Passa, passa, oh, no
Sare, sare oh, no
Ki ya ma sa, oh, no
Soro, soro, oh, no
Laye, laye, o
Oh
Is this the motherfucking thanks I get?
Burna, I see you
You got the whole world on smash right now
This whole shit is yours, forever how long you want it
Know what I mean?
The lyrics to Burna Boy's song "Thanks" highlight his frustrations and dissatisfaction with the lack of recognition and gratitude he feels he receives for his accomplishments and contributions to the music industry. He expresses his disappointment with the lack of love and support from his own Nigerian people, wondering why he isn't acknowledged for the pride he brings to them. Burna Boy believes that he has paved the way for others and has given them a blueprint for success in the Afrofusion genre. However, he feels that words are not enough to describe the hard work and dedication he has put into his journey. Regardless of the criticisms and negative comments he receives, Burna Boy remains resilient and continues to apply pressure, silently working towards his goals.
The second verse of the song delves into Burna Boy's musings on the human nature of jealousy and how people often spread false information and rumors without really knowing the truth. He questions why so many people lack fear of God and suggests that they may not realize the consequences of their actions. Despite the pressures and challenges he faces, Burna Boy emphasizes that he has never fallen off and invites listeners to recognize his consistency and unwavering commitment.
Overall, the song explores Burna Boy's frustrations with the lack of recognition and appreciation for his achievements, while also acknowledging the hypocritical and envious nature of people.
Line by Line Meaning
Finish him
Conclusively defeat him
Is this the motherfucking thanks I get
Is this the appreciation I receive
For making my people proud every chance I get? (Yeah)
For consistently bringing pride to my people
It's okay, I get (Cole World)
It's alright, I understand
This Naija, no love
This Nigeria, lacks love
Only Jah know where it started from
Only God knows where it originated
Oluwa Burna still apply pressure
Burna Boy still exerts influence
Sneak up on you on a silent one
Catch you by surprise silently
Ooh, ooh, who be that person
Oh, oh, who is that individual
I showed you how to really do this thing
I taught you how to truly excel
Oluwa Burna na the blueprint of course
Burna Boy is the original model, obviously
And I gave you Afrofusion
And I introduced you to the blend of African musical styles
No words can describe all of my waka waka
No words can adequately describe all of my travels and experiences
No place I no go to
There's no place I haven't been to
If e dey hurt you, na like this I dey hustle
If it hurts you, this is how I work hard
E go take your mind, woto, woto, oh, no
It will consume your thoughts, uncontrollably
Passa passa, oh, no
Chaotic commotion
Sare sare, oh, no
Rapidly, quickly
Ki ya ma sa, oh, no
Do whatever you want, oh no
Taye taye, oh, no
Tiring, exhausting, oh no
Jaye, jaye, oh, no, o, oh, no
Keep going, keep going, oh no
You go dey reason am rough, rough
You will understand it's difficult, challenging
Passa, passa, oh, no
Commotion, oh no
Sare, sare oh, no
Quickly, rapidly, oh no
Ki ya ma sa, oh, no
Do whatever you want, oh no
Soro, soro, oh, no
Slowly, quietly, oh no
Laye, laye, o
Forever, forever, oh
Too many people no dey fear God
Too many people lack fear for God
What you think He created hell for?
Why do you think He created hell?
Mankind so jealous
Humans are extremely envious
Wetin dem no know dem dey tell us, tell us
What they don't know, they pretend to know and tell us
Oluwa mi fe mo
My Lord, I want to know
Oluwa Burna moti jelo
Burna Boy has risen
My fall is unheard of
My failure is unprecedented
You never hear them say I fell off, fell off
You never hear them say I've declined
Burna and me, been runnin' this shit for eternity
Burna and I have been dominating this industry for a long time
I fathered a couple of styles, I'm takin' paternity leave
I created several styles, now I'm taking a break
Permanently, they hate, and I'm brushin' the dirt off my sleeve
They hate me constantly, but I'm ignoring their negativity
Steadily talkin' Ms to me, it's like I'm learnin' to read
They keep talking about money to me, it's like I'm learning to read
Sounded it out, takin' my time, countin' it out, slowly
I carefully calculated and counted my earnings, slowly
Dust collectin' on the Rollie, me and these beats is holy
Dust is gathering on my expensive Rolex watch, me and these beats are sacred
Matrimony, feelin' like Axel Foley
Marriage, feeling like the fictional character Axel Foley (from Beverly Hills Cop)
In Beverly Hills, coppin' whatever I feel
In Beverly Hills, buying whatever I want
Cole and Burna, Shaq and Kobe
Cole and Burna, like Shaq and Kobe (a legendary basketball duo)
Winnin' a ring, then we gon' repeat and three-peat
Winning a championship ring, then we're going to do it again and again
Them nerds hate, they seat geeks
Those nerds hate, they're just observers
They peepin' us on the low, we like the cheat sheet
They secretly watch us, we're like the answer key
Get paid for phrases, I don't believe in free speech
I get paid for my lyrics, I don't believe in free expression
I said it, I meant it, no take backs
I said it, I meant it, no retracting
I don't even need the receipts, so please miss me with the PC
I don't even need proof of my accomplishments, so please don't lecture me about political correctness
I be in NYC on a bike with the hood up like I'm E.T
I'll be in New York City riding a bicycle with the hood up like I'm the character E.T
These rappers ain't like me, I'm knee-deep in the concrete
These rappers aren't like me, I'm deeply rooted in the streets
Forever cemented, don't you ever forget it
Forever fixed, never forget it
Burna, I see you
Burna Boy, I acknowledge you
You got the whole world on smash right now
You have the entire world under your control right now
This whole shit is yours, forever how long you want it
This whole thing belongs to you, as long as you want it
Know what I mean?
Do you understand what I'm saying?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Damini Ogulu, Jermaine Cole
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind