You are here to know more about Buju biography? Well, here are some facts about him.Buju is a fast-rising Afrobeat singer and songwriter. In Nigeria, afrobeat has become a fast-growing industry alongside America and other international music industries.
The love for this fast-growing and talented artist (Buju), with promising career opportunities that put him into the limelight in the industry, has raised public attention, curiosity, and queries about his music, real name, age, hometown, relationship with his idol Burner Boy, including his music career, will be discussed in detail in this article.
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Buju Biography
Who is Buju in Nigeria? The love for the fast-raising artist Buju, or BujuToYourEars, has raised public attention and curiosity about his real name, hometown, age, and celebrity lifestyle. Although Buju means chubby kids in Jamaica, the young, talented Nigerian artist BujuToYourEars’ birth name was Daniel Etiese Benson. He was born on May 14, 1997, and grew up in a middle-class family in Gbagada Lagos state, but he hails from Akwa Ibom state. He is a professional Nigerian Afro-fusion singer, songwriter, and record producer Known professionally as Bnxn (Benson).
Afrobite inspired Benson (BNXN) through Nigerian music artist 2face IDibia’s songs as a child, and also he often credits Burna Boy as his inspiration for becoming a musician. The young Buju lived with his mother in Gbagada, Lagos state, before moving to Mowe, Ogun State. His late mother taught him how to speak, sing, and communicate with Yoruba despite his south-south cultural heritage and traditions. Despite his mother’s love and affection for many years, Buju eventually lost his beloved mother at an early age due to cancer.
People love the young Buju, who is fast-rising because of his down-to-earth behaviors, personate, resilient, humble self, and also his unchained spirit, demonstrations, and efforts to philanthropy through various initiatives in society such as educational scholarship programs, support for street kids, food drive support, music workshops, and collaboration for social causes. Born for greatness, Buju believes that giving back to society is more than money; it is also about time, resources, and influence.
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Buju’s Early Life And Educational Background
Although Buju (Daniel Benson) has shared
limited information about his educational career, Buju once said in an interview, “Education is key, but it’s not the only way to succeed.” Here’s what is known about your favorite young, talented Buju’s early life and educational background.
He attended Basic High School in Gbagada Lagos, close to his late mother’s house (2004-2010) for his primary education and Lagos State Model College (2010-2015) for secondary education, where he completed his West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 2015. He proceeded to Lagos State University (LASU) (2015-2017), where he studied Accounting for two years before dropping out of university due to financial constraints and his desire to pursue a music career full-time.
Buju’s educational background influenced his music, particularly his lyrics, which often touch on self-empowerment, perseverance, and street wisdom. Many of his classmates and friends loved hearing him sing and rap, so he started going to the shrine during his free time, where he wrote songs and formed his own sound, which he later developed. He later joined the choir and began performing during social activities later in school.
The Beginning of Buju Musical Career
Buju is a young talented Nigerian artist who didn’t receive formal music training but learned music production and songwriting through online tutorials and self-study. Unlike most artists, Buju started writing music in junior secondary school as far back as 2011 with the stage name Drizzle.
It’s confirmed that Buju developed an interest in music during his secondary school days when he started singing in his school’s choir and participating in local talent shows. He began releasing music on SoundCloud and other platforms in early 2015 after graduating from secondary school. His early releases were largely experimental, blending Afrobeats, R&B, and Hip-Hop, Notably “Catch Me” and “For Here.”
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How Buju was discovered and rose to prominence in Nigeria
In 2017, while Buju was still at the university, he decided to focus entirely on his music career, which later triggered him to leave campus. In February 2018, Buju released his first songs, “Catch a Vibe” and “A Day in Lagos,” which gave him some recognition on social media (Twitter and SoundCloud).
With commitment and relentless efforts, Buju eventually got his major breakthrough in 2019 in the music industry when one of his songs (a spiritual) caught the attention of Zlatan Ibile on Twitter. When Buju first got attention from music lovers on social media, he wasn’t signed to any record label until he released the “L’Enu” remix with his giant idol Burna Boy, who later signed him to Spaceship Collective Records (2020-2022), which was owned by Burna Boy and his sister Nissi Ogulu.
The contract, which lasted approximately two years, expired in April 2022. Buju’s exit from Spaceship Collective Records was reportedly amicable, allowing him to explore independent endeavors. After exiting Spaceship Records, he released an EP project, Sorry I’m Late, on October 27 under the management of To Your Ears Entertainment (Empire distribution). Following the release of his EP, Buju headlined his first sold-out concert on December 22, and his inception in Lagos was held at the Balmoral Convention Centre. He also performed his first show in London on November 30, marking the beginning of his Sorry I’m Late tour. To Your Ears Entertainment is reportedly a new record label owned by Buju.
Buju officially changed his name to BNXN (pronounced as Benson) in 2022 to avoid distractions and confusion, as he was often mistaken for a Jamaican singer ( Buju Banton) and had unique branding.
He also collaborated with Pheelz In March 2022 on a single(Finesse), which peaked at number 52 on the UK’s Official Singles Chart. In July 2022, he was featured on the Jae5 song “Propeller” alongside British rapper Dave. The song became Bnxn’s first Top 40 single in the UK, maintaining the chart number 38. On August 24, 2022, Bnxn released an EP titled ‘Bad Since’ 97′. The EP featured prominent Afrobeats artists such as Wizkid, Olamide, and Wande Coal.
Hard work pays back. On September 4, 2022, he won The Headies 2022 Next Rated award, held at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. In 2024, Bnxn released a joint album with Ruger ( RnB, having seven songs), which shocked many of his fans due to the previous clash between the two artists.
Buju Awards and Recorgnitions
According to research, there have been controversies about Buju’s Grammy award since his breakthrough in the Nigerian music industry. There are speculations that BujuToYourEars is often mistaken for Buju Banton (Jamaican artist) because of the name similarities.
There is no doubt that Bnxn is a young, talented, fast-rising artist with unique sounds, and he has been nominated for several awards, most especially Headies. Here are some notable awards and nominations received by Buju, professionally known as Bnxn:
Nominated
- MTV Africa Music Awards Best New Act in 2021
- BET Awards Best International Flow in 2021
- Headies Best Pop Album in 2022
- AFRIMA Best Artist, Duo or Group in African Pop in 2022
- Soundcity MVP Awards Best New Artist in 2022
- YouTube’s Foundry Class of 2022 (recognized as one of the most promising artists)
- Apple Music’s Up Next in 2022 (featured as an emerging artist)
Won
- City People Music Award for Best New Act (2020)
- Soundcity MVP Awards(2023)
- Headies Next Rated Award (2022)
Buju Musical Net Worth
Bujus net worth is estimated to be around $1.500,000 to $2000,000 as of 2024, a remarkable figure considering his rapid rise to fame as one of the hottest artists in the Nigerian music industry. His income sources include music sales, streaming royalties, live performances, brand endorsement deals, and collaborations, with reports indicating he charges around $10,000 per performance.
In addition to his music earnings, BNXN’s life has changed since his fame! He owns a collection of luxury cars, houses, and other properties, reflecting his industry success.
Buju Profile Summary
- Professional Name: Buju(BNXN)
- Birth Name: Daniel Etiese Benson
- Date of Birth: May 14, 1997
- Age: 27 years old
- Place of Birth: Lagos State
- State of Origin: Akwa Ibom State
- Nationality: Nigeria
- Profession: artist, Songwriter, producer
- Net Worth: $1.500,000 – $2000,000
- Associate: Zlatan Ibile, Burna Boy, Ruger
Buju Record Label and Discography
- Spaceship Records (2020-2022)
He was signed to Burna Boy’s Spaceship Records for approximately two years and released several successful singles, including “Lenu” and “Outside.”
- Toothed Records (Independent Label, 2022-present)
As the founder of Toothed Records, BNXN maintains creative control and independence in his music releases. The Label aims to support emerging artists and promote Afro-fusion sounds globally.
- Empire Distribution (2022-present)
The partnership with Empire Distribution enables BNXN to expand its global reach, leveraging Empire’s network and expertise in music distribution and marketing.
Bnxn discographies are: Catch Me (2019), For Here (2019), Energy (2019), Lenu (2020), Outside (2020), Feeling (feat. Ladipoe) (2021), Kilometer (2021), Sorry I’m Late (2022), Bad Since ’97 (2022), Kenkele, Fought with Police, Something (2022), Commander” (2022), In My Min (2022).
