Osas Aikhomu
Afrobeat icon Seun Kuti has issued a strong rebuke to contemporary Afrobeats musicians who position themselves as successors to his late father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, cautioning that mere musical influence does not equate to legacy.
He criticized the trend of younger artists labeling themselves as “the new Fela” simply for incorporating elements of his revolutionary sound, stressing that homage should not be conflated with equivalence.
While acknowledging the artistic merit in sampling Fela’s discography, the globally acclaimed artist clarified that such creative nods do not elevate anyone to the late maestro’s stature.
During a candid conversation on the Hits Don’t Lie podcast, Kuti asserted, “Several artists have skillfully reinterpreted Fela’s work, but sampling his music doesn’t transform you into him.”
“It’s absurd when musicians claim to be my father’s reincarnation. You never hear anyone declaring themselves the ‘new Bob Marley.’ This peculiar phenomenon seems uniquely Nigerian—we truly operate differently here,” he added with evident exasperation.
“Sampling Fela doesn’t make you Fela…”
– Seun Kuti pic.twitter.com/pMLJmAyc3b
— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) January 15, 2026
The debate over Fela’s modern-day counterparts has intensified as Afrobeats heavyweights like Burna Boy and Wizkid regularly interpolate his classic arrangements, while emerging acts like Bella Shmurda and Portable have adopted the controversial “New Fela” moniker.
Controversy peaked recently when rap veteran Olamide proclaimed Wizkid the genre’s second-greatest innovator after Fela himself, sparking heated discourse across the African music community.
