March 26, (THEWILL) — Nigerian singer Lawal Olalekan Olumo popularly known as Konga has accused Afrobeats star Burna Boy of sampling his work without permission.
Speaking on the Hits Don’t Lie podcast, Konga said Burna Boy did not reach out to him, even after he raised the issue publicly.
Konga first spoke about the matter in a 2025 video on his TikTok page, where he asked for a collaboration as compensation for using his intellectual property.
He claimed that Burna Boy drew from his style, rhythm, and lyrics in several songs, including ‘Update’, ‘Last Last’, and a verse on Asake’s ‘Sungba’ remix, linking the influence to his earlier work such as ‘Baby Konga’.
“If Toni Braxton is having 60% royalty of Last Last, why can’t he do the same thing to come and meet me first, talk to me?” he said, referring to Burna Boy’s 2022 hit ‘Last Last’, which sampled Toni Braxton’s ‘He Wasn’t Man Enough’.
Konga said he has avoided legal action out of respect for Burna Boy and his support for the growth of African music.
Instead, he said he requested a remix of his song ‘Kabakaba’, but the collaboration did not happen.
He added that after being ignored, he has now decided to also sample Burna Boy’s work without permission.
The claims have sparked debate online, with some fans describing the ‘Sungba’ reference as a tribute rather than copying, while others say it raises questions about credit in the music industry.
Konga rose to fame in the early 2000s, especially with his 2003 hit ‘Baby Konga’, which helped shape his signature style.
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
