‘Wizkid is the greatest artiste of all time’ – Seun Kuti

Seun Kuti, Afrobeat musician and son of the legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has urged fans to stop comparing contemporary artistes to his late father, even as he acknowledged the global success of Wizkid.

Speaking during a recent show, Seun said: “I can say Wizkid is the greatest singer in the world. I can say Wizkid is the greatest artiste of all time — it carries weight. Why must you now add ‘more than Fela’?”

He expressed frustration over what he described as a constant habit of pitting modern stars against cultural icons. “Every day these clowns keep on doing mistakes, all the time. And I would understand if we were the kind of family that lord our father’s greatness over everybody — no, we don’t,” Seun said.

According to Seun, the Kuti family has always stayed humble and avoided unnecessary conflicts, yet Fela’s legacy continues to be dragged into debates.

“We are very humble. We don’t even cross our lane, but they always cross our lane, just to drag this man down. Leave my father, let him rest,” he added.

Seun also pointed out that other countries preserve the legacies of their icons without forcing comparisons with new stars.

“Go to Jamaica, they have created many new stars, but you will never hear anybody say this one is the new Bob Marley,” he said. “Go to South Africa, you will not see them doing it to Yvonne Chaka Chaka. Go to America, you will never see them doing it to James Brown or Aretha Franklin.”

He concluded by emphasising that celebrating Wizkid or any other contemporary artiste does not require diminishing Fela’s historic contributions.

“If you want Wizkid to be great, he is the greatest. I agree. Just leave my father alone,” Seun said.