Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti has cautioned Afrobeats artistes against comparing themselves to his late father, legendary musician and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, simply because they sample his music or draw inspiration from his sound.
The Grammy-nominated singer said while he has no problem with artists sampling Fela’s work, he strongly disagrees with the growing habit of branding themselves as a modern-day version of the Afrobeat pioneer.
Seun made this clear during a recent episode of the Hits Don’t Lie podcast, where he addressed what he described as a misleading and exaggerated narrative in the Nigerian music space.
“A few people have done good samples of Fela’s music,” he said. “But the only critique that I have is that sampling Fela doesn’t make you Fela.”
The singer stressed that musical influence should not be confused with legacy or identity, adding that the idea of a “New Fela” is misplaced.
“So people should stop saying that they are my dad. That is crazy,” he continued. “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. We say wild stuff here. People are wild.”
Seun explained that Fela’s legacy went far beyond music, noting that his father’s life was defined by political resistance, activism, and personal sacrifice, not just hit records or cultural impact.
Over the years, several Afrobeats stars have been compared to Fela following the use of Afrobeat-inspired sounds and samples. Artistes such as Wizkid and Burna Boy have often found themselves in these debates, while street-hop singers Bella Shmurda and Portable have publicly referred to themselves as the “New Fela.”
The conversation gained further traction late last year after rapper Olamide described Wizkid as “the greatest Afrobeats artist after Fela,” a statement that sparked widespread reactions online.
For Seun Kuti, however, the message remains simple: influence is welcome, but rewriting history or inheriting a legacy by association is not.