At NECLive 2025, advertising mogul Steve Babaeko weighed in on the global conversation surrounding Nigerian music, urging fans and industry players not to cancel Burna Boy despite controversies surrounding the superstar. Babaeko, a veteran in Nigeria’s creative and advertising industry, emphasized the importance of separating the artist’s personal missteps from his significant contributions to African music and culture.
According to Babaeko, Burna Boy has been a trailblazer for Nigerian artists on the global stage, opening doors for the Afrobeats genre and shining a spotlight on the continent’s creative potential. “We must celebrate what he has done for Africa’s music scene while holding constructive conversations about accountability,” he said. Babaeko stressed that cancel culture can sometimes overshadow the value of artistic contributions and urged a more nuanced approach to evaluating artists’ legacies, particularly those shaping Nigeria’s presence in the global entertainment ecosystem.
