Grammy-nominated Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti has claimed he has been systematically blacklisted in Nigeria’s music industry for approximately 13 years due to his outspoken political views and protest-driven music.
In a recent interview on the Selah Meditate podcast, the youngest son of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti accused successive Nigerian governments of deliberately promoting non-political artists while marginalising conscious musicians who critique governance and social issues.
“The impact of Fela and his contemporaries who spoke truth to power scared the government. They made the government realise the power of artistry. So, the government invested more in artists who don’t make conscious music than artists who sing about realities.”
He traced the intensification of his own restrictions to a performance at an event hosted by former Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
“I have been cancelled for about 13 years now after I performed conscious music at former Lagos State Governor Ambode’s event. Even before then, my music was heavily restricted.”
Seun Kuti maintained that he refuses to hold back his opinions while in Nigeria, a stance he believes has led to his prolonged “cancellation.” However, he noted that the blacklist has had limited impact on his overall career.
“Nigeria has cancelled me long time but Nigeria is just like a really small percentage of my market. So, being cancelled doesn’t really affect me.”
The musician observed that many contemporary artists deliberately avoid social or political commentary out of fear of similar repercussions, especially those heavily dependent on the local market.