Bose Ogulu, mother and manager of Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy, has opened up about the complexities of juggling her dual roles in both family and business. In a recent interview, Ogulu shared how she has learned to navigate the challenges of working closely with family while also leading a growing professional team.
Ogulu acknowledged that mixing emotions with business decisions can be difficult, especially when tensions arise. To manage this, she explained that she and her son set clear boundaries between their personal and professional interactions.
“Yes, sometimes it’s tough drawing the line between work and emotions,” she said. “But I tell him, ‘Now your mom’s talking,’ or ‘I’m your manager, so yell at me.’ It helps us feel supported, even during disagreements. Objectivity is hard, but we practice.”
Her responsibilities have grown far beyond managing her own children. She now oversees a team of about 40 individuals her “kids,” as she fondly calls them whom she supports while on tour.
“Family extends beyond my kids now. I have 40 ‘kids’ on stage or touring with us,” she added.
Reflecting on her journey, Ogulu recalled the sacrifices she made in the early days of her children’s music careers. Long before they could afford to pay her, she was already deeply involved funding music projects, handling administrative tasks, and reviewing contracts.
“Before, they couldn’t pay me; I funded their music, read contracts, handled admin,” she said. “France is special to me because I speak French and used to take my kids on trips there places like Biarritz. It became part of their lives, and we experienced rock music culture firsthand. Switching from the manager hat to the mom hat? That’s only easy if I were just a mom staying at home. But this is my job.”
