Steel & Copper

Steel & Copper combines elements of dancehall and reggae music with Afropop and trap.[3][4] The EP's 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]

The visuals 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]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
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] Debola Abimbolu of Native magazine 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] Adam Nosalik of Spill Magazine gave 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]