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Steel & Copper
Steel & Copper
EP by Burna Boy and DJDS
Released	March 21, 2019
Recorded	2019
Genre	Afropop; trap; dancehall; reggae;
Length	10:00
Label	Spaceship; Bad Habit; Atlantic; Loma Vista;
Producer	DJDS
Burna Boy chronology
DJDS chronology

Steel & Copper is a collaborative extended play by Nigerian singer Burna Boy and American production duo DJDS.^[1] The EP comprises four tracks and was released on March 21, 2019, through Spaceship Entertainment, Bad Habit, Atlantic Records and Loma Vista Recordings.^[2] It is the follow-up to Burna Boy's third studio album, Outside (2018), and DJDS' fourth studio album, Big Wave More Fire (2018).^[2] Steel & Copper blends Burna Boy’s upbeat melodies with DJDS' slinky trap beats.^[3]

Composition

Steel & Copper is a dancehall, reggae, afropop, and trap album.^[3]^[4] The title track, "34", is a reference to Giannis Antetokounmpo's jersey number; the song first appeared in a freestyle Burna Boy did for Link Up TV's Behind the Barz.^[3]^[4] In "Innocent Man", Burna Boy talks about surviving in the cold; he switches from melodic flows to fast paced rapping.^[4]^[3] In the Rastafarian-influenced track "Darko", he voices his frustrations with the authorities and why he is not bothered about the things people say about him; the song begins with an upbeat piano sound and references his 2014 hit record "Don Gorgon".^[4]^[3] In "Thuggin", Burna Boy narrates the deep tale of living life despite all the people he's lost; the song is composed of a guitar-led R&B beat that is reminiscent of a church choir worship session.^[4]^[3] Ehis Ohunyon of Pulse Nigeria praised the song's structure and content.^[4]

Releases

The video for "Thuggin/Darko", a merger of the songs "Thuggin" and "Darko", was released on April 1, 2019.^[5] It was directed by Daniel Regan and features styling from Nigerian fashion photographer Stephen Tayo.^[5] The video contains spiritual elements and is a depiction of life and death; it also contains melancholic images of Burna Boy caring for a motherly figure in his home before engaging in a street fight that turns deadly for one of the men involved.^[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
The Spill Magazine	^[6]
Pulse Nigeria	^[4]

Steel & Copper received generally positive reviews from music critics. Pulse Nigeria's Ehis Ohunyon awarded the EP 3 stars out of 5, saying it "succeeds through sheer force of will, cutting edge style and his simple approach to achieving excellence".^[4] In contrast, Ohunyon criticized its length and said it "lacks the gusto to leave a memorable mark in the mind of listeners".^[4] The Native's Debola Abimbolu said Steel & Copper is a continuation of the genre-bending antics that DJDS explored on their 2018 album Big Wave More Fire; Abimbolu also commended Burna Boy for helping the duo explore the sound of Afropop.^[3]

Writing for The Spill Magazine, Adam Nosalik granted the EP 4 stars out of 5, commending it for being a well put-together project.^[6] Notiki Bello of Filter Free Nigeria called the EP "smooth" and said "there is no noticeable sonic glitch in any of the songs".^[7]