Maverick singer and activist Seun Kuti has cautioned Afrobeats artists against comparing themselves to his father, the late Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
The Grammy-nominated musician criticised the growing trend of some Afrobeats stars referring to themselves as modern-day equivalents of Fela simply because they sample his music or draw inspiration from his sound.
Kuti clarified that he has no issue with artists sampling Fela’s works, noting that several musicians have done so creatively.
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However, he stressed that sampling or referencing Fela’s music does not place anyone on the same level as the late icon.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Hits Don’t Lie podcast, Kuti said, “A few people have done good samples of Fela’s music. But the only critique that I have is that sampling Fela doesn’t make you Fela.
“So people should stop saying that they are my dad. That is crazy. It’s crazy when people say that they are the ‘New Fela’. Where is the ‘Bob Marley’? It is only in Nigeria you hear such things. People are wild,” he added.
In recent years, several Afrobeats artists, including Wizkid and Burna Boy, have been compared to Fela following their use of samples and stylistic influences from his music.
Street-hop artistes such as Bella Shmurda and Portable have also publicly referred to themselves as the “New Fela”.
The debate gained further attention late last year when rapper Olamide sparked controversy by describing Wizkid as “the greatest Afrobeats artiste after Fela”, a statement that generated widespread discussion across the music industry and on social media.
Seun Kuti’s comments have since reignited conversations about legacy, influence, and the distinction between inspiration and equivalence in Nigerian music.
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