Samuel Oluwabori Adewale, widely known as Borii but also goes by Prince Borii, and his nickname Longhead, which was given to him by his classmates, left Nigeria at the age of 9 with his family and found themselves moving to New York and then Hyde Park and eventually finding their feet in the city of Lynn. Since then, Borii has steadily carved out his place in the artistic world. Over the years, he has showcased his talents both behind as a photographer and in front of the camera — occasionally modeling and creating comedy skits and even stepping into the studio to show off his musical abilities. For fun, Borii enjoys gaming, with Marvel Rivals being one of his go-to titles, though he admits he’s far from the best at it.
Where the passion for photography began
Borii discovered his passion for photography in college after reconnecting with a long-lost friend. His friend had two cameras and offered to give Borii one, an offer he couldn’t resist — after all, who would turn down a free camera? Once Borii came into possession of the camera, he did not make much use of it.
“For a while, I didn’t use it. Then I just started to take pictures of my ex at the time and thought, this is nice; my pictures are good,” Borii said. “I started taking pictures of other people and thought, ‘Oh, I could get creative with it,’ and from there, it was like, okay… this is cool. For photography, I feel like the creativity is endless, and I can do anything I can think of, and that’s what really got me hooked on it.”
From a professional standpoint, his favorite aspect of photography is capturing moments. When booked for events, Borii strives to capture unforgettable moments that stand the test of time, allowing people to look back and relive their cherished memories.
“I love memories. If you look at my Snapchat, I got memories from middle school, and my friends would try to get out of it, but when they think about it now, they’re like, ‘You really documented our whole lives.’ I would tell them it’s good to get these memories,” Borii said. “With the professional aspect, I just love capturing people’s memories, it’s beautiful.”
Getting immersed for the love of the photo
Borii brings his camera and creative eye to a wide range of events, from baby showers and weddings to funerals, fashion shows, parties, church gatherings, and beyond. When asked if he had a particular kind of event he enjoys shooting the most, Borii feels he thrives most in wedding photography. When he takes on a wedding photography assignment, he becomes completely immersed in the experience and forgets about everything else, with the main goal in mind being to capture the perfect moments for the couple.
“I just have fun. I love love. I’m big on love, so when I see two people who are genuinely in love with each other, and you see it in their eyes, it’s beautiful,” Borii said. “Weddings I just go crazy because I’m in it completely.”
Capturing the right photo
When it comes to taking a great photo, Borii tends to focus on the eyes. If he feels as if the eyes are off, then the photos are off. For example, if one is slightly closed and the other is open all the way the photos are off balance. He makes sure the eyes are centered, or if not centered, he can see either one or both.
Another factor Borii takes into consideration when capturing a photo is the lighting. If he can’t see his subject clearly, then he’s not okay with the photo, and he hates shadows. Especially shadows under the neck, or shadows under the eyes; if there are shadows in those areas, he won’t be good with the shoot ending until he gets the right lighting.
Inspirations in the photography world
Borii draws inspiration from several local photographers, including Yuder Luis (ydsnapz), JSProductions (shotbyjsp), Lens Of Wes, and Marc Tisme (divinestorys). Other photographers who are not local and have inspired Borii consist of ELYNAM (elyhonkpo), Cameron Reed (cameronreedstudios), and Rufai Ismaila (kingsvillevisuals).
“He [Yuder Luis] stopped posting as much as he used to, but his work is insane; he was recently one of the most influential people to my photography because he’s so different than any of the other photographers I see around here,” Borii said. “He kind of just opened my eyes to, yeah, you can have centered shots and cool backgrounds, but now you have to incorporate the person and clothes into the shot, into the background… so how do you do that? I’m just looking at his work and thinking, ‘That’s smart,’ you use the background for this, you use this object for this, you use this to accentuate the color of this… and I’m like, ‘smart, smart, smart.’”
From the camera to the studio
Borii’s artistic expression is not limited to photography; the Lynn English graduate has also been producing music for years. Borii’s musical style encompasses rap, EDM, drill, hip-hop, and pop genres, and he is currently exploring rock music for an upcoming project. His sound draws heavy inspiration from artists such as Eminem, Juice Wrld, Drake, and Linkin Park. With the goal of creating music that fosters a sense of community, Borii desires to present something genuine, unfiltered, and sincere. Borii’s musical journey includes the 2023 album “Intrusive Thoughts” with tracks like “Zoo,” “Realist,” “New Me,” and “Without Me” featuring Swelly. He also released the single “Jetski (FWMB)” last year. He was also featured on Yungfwesh’s “Waka” and M’kay’s “Corna Corna” which also featured 31 Ronin. Borii’s music has garnered significant attention on popular streaming platforms. On Spotify alone, his tracks have amassed tens of thousands of streams.
How to get in touch and listen
If you are interested in contacting Borii, booking him, or viewing more of his work, you can find him on Instagram at the handle boriishoots. If you are interested in listening to his music and discovering a new artist, you can find his tracks by searching Prince Borii on streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.
