Nigerian singer and rapper, Lawal “Konga” Olumo, has accused Grammy-winning artiste Damini “Burna Boy” Ogulu of copying his style and signature catchphrases.
Speaking on the “Hits Don’t Lie” podcast, published on the Cool FM Nigeria YouTube page on Thursday night, Konga claimed that the “Last Last” singer replicated elements of his style in the 2025 remix of “Sungba”, which featured Asake and other songs.
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He added that he had previously raised the issue calmly on social media, but Burna Boy did not respond.
Konga noted: “He didn’t speak to me, but he referenced my style in his song. I’ve actually been watching Burna Boy for a while, since he was on a record label. I used to be his fan too, but I started really paying attention to him when he changed his style and vibe. Then again, he started using some of my slogans.
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“I mean, putting some of my slogans. I’m like, okay. I think there’s something about this guy. Apart from me being his fan, there’s something about this guy. He was my fan. I don’t like judging people from a place where I don’t understand. I would like to know why you are doing this before I can say something. So, not until he dropped one song called “Sungba”.
60% earnings
The songwriter further claimed he was entitled to 60 per cent of the track’s revenue, alleging that Burna Boy sampled his work without permission.
He said the “Twice as Tall” crooner never contacted him before using the material, and drew a comparison with Burna Boy’s 2022 hit, “Last Last.”
According to him, the singer reportedly granted American artiste Toni Braxton 60 per cent royalties for sampling her song on the track.
“That’s my line. That’s my rhythm. If this guy could do this intentionally, and he did a song before that time, “Last, Last”, that is sample one, American, that lady, Tony Braxton. The lady was getting 60% royalty on every record sale, and he was getting 40%.
“I’m like, why can’t he do the same thing to come and meet me first? Talk to me. Like, okay, Konga, this is what’s up. This is what we are going to spell out for you, which is very formal. I feel bad. I feel a little bit like, why can’t he do the needful?”
Legal action
Konga also revealed that he chose not to pursue legal action against Burna Boy, despite the singer’s failure to respond to his public call-out.
He explained that after waiting for a month without any reply, he returned to the studio and sampled Burna Boy’s track.
“Then my companies, my lawyer was like, let’s sue him. I’m like, no. There’s something about this guy. I told my team, “No, we are not going to sue Burna Boy.” I’m going to call him out. I’m going to call him out peacefully.
Then I called him out. I said, Burna Boy, I’m a fan of yours. And I like what you do. I like the fact that you are putting where we stop, you’re putting us on the map, and you’re repping us well. Like, hugely well. So, I’m like, yo, I think we need to remix this KabaKaba.”
“After he didn’t respond, I said, I’m going to hit the studio. My people were like, why? I said, ” No, I’m going to the studio. Then, boom. I actually worked with three producers on the beats. They’re actually putting so much energy into this song. So, if Burna Boy can sample me, then I can sample him. In the song I sampled here, they actually used my line. Then, I put that in my chorus. After I did that song, and I took it to my team, I’m like, y’all guys should listen to this song. Everybody in the room was turning upside down, like, yeah, yeah, this is banga”, he added.
Searching for Burna Boy
Furthermore, Konga said that after recording the track in which he sampled Burna Boy, he began reaching out to the singer to collaborate.
He added, “So, I went on the street looking for Burna Boy because I wanted him to listen to it because I wanted to play it to him, and I want him to put his own verse on it. So, it took me like two or three weeks, and I couldn’t find him. Then, luckily for me, on my way home one night, all the area boys in places like Lekki, Ikeja, everywhere, they know me, they know my car.
“So, whenever I’m driving, sometimes I show love, sometimes they have to stop at a normal random thing. So, a lot of them jump on my car. They say, Konga, Konga, Burna Boy is inside. That’s why I pull up. I have not even seen BurnaBoy but he called me. We met, and he’s an amazing guy. Lovely guy.”
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Deteriorated relationship
Konga said Burna Boy treated him warmly when they met and was genuinely pleasant to him.
However, he added that their relationship later deteriorated again.
“He made me understand that. He has been listening to my song since he was in his school in the UK. He said, ” It’s because of only one thing. Because of the way I code my lyrics. It reminds him of how he used to code with his friends. I was the only artist he’s been fucking with. And you’re the only artist in all of Nigeria because you’re unique. You were different.”
