Bose Ogulu, mother and manager of Nigerian music star Burna Boy, has opened up about the challenges of managing the Grammy-winning artiste while allowing him to remain true to himself.

Ogulu said she has learned not to overly control Burna Boy’s personality because the traits that sometimes attract criticism are also closely connected to his creativity and individuality.

Speaking about her experience managing her son, she compared artistes to tapestries, warning that trying to pull too hard at one aspect of their personality could affect everything else.

“If he does a tweet and I do a tweet, you’re going to know the difference. I have come to realise that artistes like him are like tapestries. You pull too hard, everything will unravel,” she said.

According to Ogulu, managers must therefore make room for artistes to express themselves, even when some of their actions may be difficult to manage.

“You must make allowances for this person being himself because it is the same emotions that what you love comes from, they come from the same place,” she added.

She further explained that trying to suppress certain aspects of Burna Boy’s character could ultimately affect the qualities that have contributed to his success.

“If you pull too hard at one thing, you’re probably going to lose the other, and you won’t be helping anyone. So, within reason, we do what we can,” she said.

Ogulu also admitted that there have been moments when she has intervened to stop Burna Boy from making impulsive decisions on social media.

“I’ve been known to grab his phone when he was Instagram Live, but then sometimes I’m like, ‘Listen, you talk, they talk; you don’t talk, they still talk,’” she said.

Her comments highlight the balancing act involved in managing a globally recognised artiste while preserving the personality and creative freedom that helped make him successful.

“You can always notice the difference between when I tweet and when Burna Boy tweets. I usually grab his phone from him anytime he goes wild on Instagram live.”😂

— Bose Ogulu pic.twitter.com/c71t2DbM4W

— Proper9ja Boy (@Proper9jaboy) August 31, 2026