Burna Boy explains why he sampled JHus' Instagram story on 'City Boys'
Burna Boy and JHus have collaborated on at least five songs so far.
The global superstar Burna Boy released City Boys from his seventh album titled I Told Them on August 25, 2023. Since then the hit song has been making waves and the release of the album debuted at No.1 on the Official UK Albums chart. Burna Boy recently bagged seven nominations at the BET Hip-Hop Awards in September.
In an Interview with, Henrieviii of Kiss Fresh, published on October 4, Burna Boy explains why he used the audio from J Hus's Instagram story as his Intro to City Boys. J Hus a British rapper and singer, usually referred to himself as "Mr Ugly" because that was the view society had of black African men.
According to Burna Boy, J Hus was speaking for black African men who at a certain time were not aesthetically pleasing or handsome according to society's beauty standards. Mainstream media and societal beauty standards have marginalized individuals who do not conform to these standards. According to Burna Boy "There was a time in life when we (Black African Men) weren't poppin'. You had to be a Light Skinned Boy".
However, with the global domination of Afrobeats, UK Drills and other music genres the narrative has changed. Now black-skinned men and everyone around them know their true worth. They aren't "Ugly" as they were previously projected to be. "We were getting called all types of names. J Hus referred to himself as Mr Ugly", He said. The music industry has produced a new generation of black artists who are celebrated for their unique style and appearances.
