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Rapper Burna Boy has caused controversy after he delivered some very frank words to a couple he spotted at one of his concerts.
A video circulating on social media shows the Nigerian singer, real name Damini Ogulu, pausing his show after taking issue with the behavior of two members of the audience.
Of course, it's not unheard of for musicians to stop their concerts because of something that is happening in the audience, including for a musician to publicly call someone out... but in Burna Boy's case, fans have been left divided.
It all started during Burna Boy's concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on 12 November, when the musician said that he had been feeling unwell. Nonetheless, he decided to push on with the show, despite feeling ill.
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One person posted about the show, saying that after the first song, he told the audience: "Y’all, I almost didn’t make the show. I’m so sick, I had to take so many medications, but you know what? The show goes on."
But things took a turn when he spotted what a couple were doing in the crowd.
Taking to social media, one member of the audience recalled that the singer had gotten close to the end of the set when he saw two audience members appearing to be sleeping.
She wrote: “Everytime, he sings a song, he goes, 'Can I get water?' Like three songs left, he was like, 'Is that person sleeping? I told y’all I was sick and the fact y’all sitting down here and sleeping as I’m giving y’all my best'."
Videos of the concert, which have since circulated online, show the musician stopping mid-performance to publicly call out the sleeping couple.
“We’re doing this s**t because we’re doing it and we love you, you understand?" he told them.
"So, when I stand up here and see you over there with your girl sleeping in front of me, this is where ya f**k off. You understand, so please take her the f**k home.”
Taking a hardline stance, Burna Boy would not continue performing until they had left, which saw security intervene and escort them out.
“Yo, hurry up. Wallahi, I’m not doing another song till you go home," he said.
Some people were outraged by the musician's reaction, with one writing: “I swear I no go comot, make the show better scatter. I paid for the tickets, and I will go nowhere.”
Another said: "What a jerk! The first thing that crossed my mind was how exhausted must one be to fall asleep in the middle of a concert?"
Someone else wrote: "What if they had an illness or a medical emergency? They paid to be there too. Sounds like his ego as an artist got the best of him."
But another was more sympathetic, asking why they had gone if they just planned to sleep.
They wrote: “It’s simple, if you’re lucky enough to sit front row at a Burna Boy concert, bring the same energy he brings on stage. It’s not a movie night, it’s an experience.
"If you can’t keep up, don’t block someone else’s vibe. Burna just kept the energy pure."
UNILAD has contacted Burna Boy's reps for comment.
