Here is why Michael Jordan's appearance in Burna Boy’s video for ‘23’ should be a priority
To understand the greatness of Michael Jordan, a layman only has to watch the 10-part Netflix documentary titled, The Last Dance.
On August 14, 2020, Nigerian superstar, Burna Boy released his latest album, ‘Twice As Tall.’ The 15-track body of work marked a third straight body of work that oozes distinctive quality from Burna Boy.
From the look of things, the album is a Grammy move. You can read more about that HERE.
Carrying the mark of Hip-Hop’s greatest salesman in Diddy, Burna Boy already boasts one of the greatest co-signs in urban culture. What Diddy possesses are influence, wealth and power that transcend urban culture. His co-sign turned Ciroc into a mainstream success after selling a paltry one thousand cases annually in the years before he joined.
The album also had an amazing roll-out that merges western sentiment as it relates to Africa and the power of great music. Producers such as Timbaland and Mike Dean also left indelible marks on the album as well as Nigerian producers, Leriq, Telz, Rexxie, P2J and so forth.
Burna Boy also has the might of Atlantic Records, Bad Habit and Warner Music on his side to go with an Angelique Kidjo co-sign on the Grammy stage.
However, nothing will make more sense than a Michael Jordan appearance on a song that’s named after the greatest basketball superstar of all-time. At track 10 on Twice As Tall sits a track titled, ‘23.’ It is an ode to the iconic jersey number that is synonymous with only one man in the history of sports - Michael Jordan.
On the track, Burna Boy’s catchiest line is, “Music makes me feel I be Jordan…” before adding what is currently his favourite adlib in, “Woro si woro…” To understand the greatness of Michael Jordan, a layman only has to watch the 10-part Netflix documentary titled, The Last Dance.
Michael Jordan is the man incredibly respected by the two other greatest basketball players of all time in Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. He is also credited with taking basketball from just another American sport into the global realm. Then, he took Nike - then a mid-range sports brand - from just another brand into something that surpassed Fila and Adidas in American sports.
In the first year after Michael Jordan joined Nike in the 80’s, revenue projections from the first set of Jordan sneakers were under $20 million. However, revenue surprised $120 million in that first year alone.
Michael Jordan is the cultural phenomenon of two different three-peats. The second three-peat came after an 18-month hiatus that saw him play minor league baseball as he dealt with the crushing blow of his father’s murder. Michael Jordan’s name is also associated with what is the biggest franchise merchandise that the world has ever seen.
On the other hand, Burna Boy is trying to gain mainstream attention in America and Europe. Michae Jordan might be 58, but his co-sign by appearing in a Burna Boy video will go a long way in endearing Burna Boy towards American urban culture, American sports franchises and corporate America as an African brand worth associating with.
It will also give the video an extra dimension. Aside from that, Burna Boy wants that Grammy. How else do you get the attention of the Academy beyond getting one of the greatest sportsmen of all-time to appear in a video for a song that used him as symbolism?
Moreover, the song still retains heavy influences of African depths in language, references and delivery.
Having Michael Jordan in that video will be similar to what Lyor Cohen’sappearance as a chauffeur in the video for ‘Death of Auto-Tune’ did for Jay Z. At the time, Lyor was already a huge deal in global music.
These days, he leads YouTube Music from the upper office and Jay Z is now a billionaire, but at the time, Jay Z had transitioned from a rapper into a businessman, but he still needed to be perceived as a capitalist.
The best bits of branding have subconscious effects that are built over a long strain of consistency. For Jay Z, that bid for changed perception peaked with his amazingly targeted move with Magna Carta, Holy Grail, but it started with that Lyon Cohen moment in that 2009 music video.
For Burna Boy, he has been building to be taken seriously all his career. At the 2014 MTV African Music Awards, he grabbed the microphone from French Montana to deliver a Ragga-based freestyle while Montana - who had Khloe Kardashian rooting for him in the crowd - performed his smash hit, ‘Ain’t Worried ‘Bout Nothin.’
Burna Boy has since matured into the poster boy for Afrobeats and with the quality music to match. He also has a Grammy nomination under his belt, but that hasn’t stopped him from going harder. A Michael Jordan will aid his cause beyond just being a Grammy move, it will aid his entire bid for greater acceptance of contemporary African music in the American mainstream.
Make no mistake, that Michael Jordan appearance will not suddenly transform how Burna Boy is perceived by the American mainstream, but it will take him up some massive steps. African music and African artists have been ramping up efforts and things are finally starting to look up, now strategy is required for that first set of hits.
As regards a video treatment for ‘23,’ someone from Atlantic/Bad Habit should hit Osagie Alonge up, he has a fantastic idea.
#ListenAfricaExtra - Here are additional bits of content from the past week;
Two days before this newsletter, Excel Joab had a conversation with Darey Art Alade, you can read about it below;
You can catch up with Motolani Alake’s work this week HERE.
Fu’ad Lawal, Editor-In-Chief at Zikoko starts a newsletter, Vistanium.
Veteran Culture Journalist, Ayomide Tayo launched the first installment of his newsletter, Naija Times.You can also get his podcast, 234 Essential HERE.
Veteran Journalist and Tech professional, Chiagoziem Onyekwena also manages GetDotAfrica, a weekly newsletter on happenings in African Tech.
Davido Adeleke, Head of Communication at Eko Atlantic started Communique, a newsletter.
Veteran Nigerian Journalist and Director of Marketing at OPay, Osagie Alonge is back with a new podcast titled, A Music In Time.
You can get the playlist on all five streaming platforms HERE.
Here are the song on the Listen Africa! Playlist on Apple Music, YouTube Music, Audiomack, Deezer and Boomplay;
DJ Tunez ft J.Anthoni - Differently
Valerie Omari featuring Rouge - Goodtime [New]
Shun Breezy - Oju Aja
Tanasha Donna - La Vie
Blaq Diamond - Ibhanoyi
MzVee ft Mugeez - Baddest Boss
Oxlade - DKT
Nosipho - Thembalami
Eden - Ayo
Nelson Freitas - Dpos D'Quarentena
Marwan Pablo - Sindbad
Cxxp D’etat - Go Agen
Kwesi Arthur featuring Sarkodie - Jehovah
Abyusif - Fawa2ni
Issam - Nike
Sal LY - Look Alive
Laolu Bobson - Dive
DePartyAnimals - Vibration [Fireboy Remix]
Adina Thembi - Why
Abaasa featuring Pryce Teeba - Dreams
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Until next week, guys…