Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti has taken a swipe at fans of Grammy-winning singer Wizkid, accusing them of disrespecting the legacy of his late father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, while also revealing that Fela’s name still brings him significant financial rewards decades after his death.
The clash erupted during a Tuesday Instagram Live session after a Wizkid fan asked Seun to drop his long-time nickname, “Big Bird,” because Wizkid is often referred to as the “Biggest Bird.” Seun flatly rejected the demand, insisting the name predated Wizkid’s fame.
“Wizkid stole my name. Tell your fave to be original,” Seun said. “Why are you telling me to change my name? Sorry, I can’t change it. This name has been here since. I am the first to come up with it.”
The singer also criticised Wizkid’s camp, including DJ Tunez, for what he described as silence in the face of repeated comparisons between Wizkid and Fela made by fans online.
“If I see DJ Tunez again, I’ll confront him because he and his team are enjoying the Wizkid and Fela comparison instead of debunking it. I won’t even hug him,” he said.
During the livestream, Seun revealed that Fela’s legacy still pays, disclosing that he recently received $120,000 purely because of his father’s enduring influence.
“I recently received about $120,000 simply because I am Fela’s son; it is not my work. My father has died over 29 years from the grave, and I received it,” he said. “How many of your fathers from the grave can send you $120,000 from the grave?”
Seun stressed that his anger was not directed at Wizkid personally but at what he described as a toxic fan culture that thrives on dragging historical figures into online fan wars.
Days earlier, he had already warned Wizkid FC in a separate Instagram post, saying, “Keep Fela’s name out of your (Wizkid FC) mouths. Why must you find a way to bring Fela always into your discussions?”
He went further during the livestream, daring Wizkid’s massive fan base to prove their influence through action rather than insults.
“I’ll use four days to drag Wizkid FC. They claim they’re over one million. Let them contribute ₦1,000 each. That’s ₦1 billion to build a school in Surulere on Wizkid’s behalf,” he said. “Dragging and disrespect is your power. Who raised you?”
Seun also rejected claims by some fans that Wizkid is a “new Fela,” insisting such comparisons ignore the activist roots of Afrobeat.
According to him, Fela’s legacy was built on political resistance, social justice and sacrifice, not just chart success, adding that reducing it to fan banter shows a deep misunderstanding of history.