Nigerian superstar Burna Boy has been having a breakout 2020 following the release of his new project Twice As Tall. Releasing videos for “Monsters You Made” with Chris Martin and “Real Life” with Stormzy, Burna continued his fiery ascent after becoming a hot commodity in the wake of 2019’s African Giant album. Now, he releases the loose single “20:10:10” to condemn the Nigerian government’s actions which came under scrutiny this month with the #EndSARS protests against the paramilitary police force and its overreaching, violent activities.
“You carry army go kill many youth for Lekki,” he rhymes, pointing out the Special Anti-Robbery Squad’s tendency to stop and attack Nigerian youth for any reason. Since early October, Nigerian citizens have been protesting for an end to the SARS organization, with the government responding by planning to reassign officers rather than disbanding the unit. Citizens have shared videos of officers kidnapping, torturing, robbing, and even killing mostly young men, profiling them over their clothing and hairstyles.
Burna Boy joined a wave of fellow Nigerian artists who have spoken out against the violence, including Davido and Wizkid. Both artists delayed releases planned for this month as a result of the unrest and have spoken out as well.
Listen to “20:10:20” above.
Burna Boy is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.