VIDEO: Seun Kuti blows hot at stars claiming to be the ‘new Fela’

Grammy-nominated Nigerian musician Seun Kuti has cautioned Afrobeats artistes against comparing themselves to his late father, legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, simply because they sample his music or draw inspiration from his style.

Seun Kuti made the remarks while speaking on a recent episode of the Hits Don’t Lie podcast, where he criticised what he described as a growing trend among some Afrobeats stars who refer to themselves as the “New Fela.”

According to him, while sampling Fela’s music is acceptable and sometimes well done, it does not equate to becoming the late music icon.

“A few people have done good samples of Fela’s music,” Seun said. “But the only critique that I have is that sampling Fela doesn’t make you Fela.

“So people should stop saying that they are my dad. That is crazy. 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 things. People are wild,” he added.

The outspoken musician stressed that he is not opposed to artistes paying homage to Fela through sampling or inspiration, but strongly objects to direct comparisons with the Afrobeat legend, whose music and activism were deeply rooted in political resistance and social consciousness.

In recent years, several Afrobeats stars have been likened to Fela following their use of Afrobeat elements and politically charged lyrics. Artists such as Wizkid and Burna Boy have drawn comparisons after sampling Fela’s work or adopting Afrobeat-inspired sounds.

Street-hop artistes including Bella Shmurda and Portable have also publicly described themselves as the “New Fela.”

The debate intensified late last year when rapper Olamide sparked controversy after declaring Wizkid as the “greatest Afrobeats artiste after Fela.”

"Sampling Fela doesn't make you Fela…"

– Seun Kuti pic.twitter.com/pMLJmAyc3b

— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) January 15, 2026