City Boys

Album: I Told Them... (2023)
Charted: 14
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Songfacts®:

  • A city boy is a slang term for a man who lives his best life. He is someone who focuses on his success and is seen as sophisticated.

    On this braggadocious anthem, Burna Boy blends his signature Afro-fusion with US hip-hop. The Nigerian star boasts of how he's a successful city boy who gets girls from both the ghetto and uptown.
  • "City Boys" kicks off with a snippet from British rapper J Hus' Instagram story. In it, J Hus dismantles the notion of his own "ugly" perception and proudly declares himself "sexy." The sample is a potent declaration of self-love and self-acceptance.
  • Burna Boy delivers the first part of the chorus in Yoruba, a language spoken in West Africa, particularly in Nigeria.

    Mi o fa'gbo lo rado
    BRKFST mo n fa o


    Translates into English as:
    I don't listen to noise
    I have breakfast with you


    He's not talking about the first meal of the day. BRKFST is Burna Boy's cannabis brand.

    Mi o de ni mu Jekonmo
    Azul and Champagne ni ma mu o


    Translates as:
    I don't have time for Jekonmo
    I'll have Azul and Champagne with you


    Burna Boy doesn't care for Jekonmo, a Nigerian herbal mixture sold in local markets and online. He prefers indulging in upmarket foreign beverages like Azul and Champagne.
  • MD$ & Ruuben produced the track. They incorporate a sped-up sample of Jeremih's "Birthday Sex."
  • "City Boys" is a track from Burna Boy's seventh album I Told Them… In the week following the release of the album, the song charted worldwide thanks to the "City Boys" dance challenge on TikTok.

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