Veteran Nigerian singer Konga has publicly claimed that he deserves 60% of the earnings from Grammy-winning Afrobeats star Burna Boy’s song Update, alleging that the international hit sampled his work without authorization.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Hits Don’t Lie podcast, Konga revealed that Burna Boy did not reach out to him, even after he had peacefully raised the matter several months ago. He contrasted this with Burna Boy’s handling of American singer Toni Braxton, who received 60% of royalties from his 2022 hit Last Last for sampling her song He Wasn’t Man Enough.
“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?” Konga asked.
Despite the grievance, Konga said he has deliberately held back his legal team from pursuing formal action, citing his admiration for Burna Boy’s work and pride in contributing to the global growth of African music.
The veteran artist also noted that Burna Boy previously sampled his lyrics in the remix of Sungba with Asake, another popular Nigerian act. Konga expressed disappointment that Burna Boy declined his public request to collaborate on a remix of his evergreen hit Kabakaba.
“Since he refused my public request, I have also decided to sample Burna Boy without permission,” Konga revealed.
The ongoing dispute has sparked discussions among fans and music industry observers about intellectual property rights, fair credit, and the responsibilities of global artists when drawing inspiration from veteran musicians.
Konga’s comments come amid a growing debate in the African music scene regarding proper royalties and recognition for foundational artists whose work is often sampled or reimagined in modern Afrobeats hits.