Fela rapped before rap existed – Seun Kuti claims

Maverick Nigerian singer Seun Kuti has claimed that his late father, Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, was also a forerunner of rap music.

Seun Kuti made the statement during a recent episode of the Hits Don’t Lie podcast, where he argued that Fela incorporated elements of rapping long before the genre was formally recognised.

According to him, the late music icon delivered rap-style vocals on his 1980 album Authority Stealing, even though the term “rap” was not yet widely known at the time.

“Fela was the first person to rap. He did a bit of rapping on the album Authority Stealing,” Seun said.

“When he did it, we didn’t know it was going to be called ‘Rap’,” he added.

However, Seun Kuti’s claim contrasts with widely accepted accounts of hip-hop history. DJ Kool Herc, who is regarded as one of the foundational figures of hip-hop, is credited with pioneering the breakbeat technique in 1973—seven years before the release of Authority Stealing.

Alongside DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash are widely acknowledged as the trio who created and shaped rap and hip-hop culture in the United States.

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, on the other hand, remains globally celebrated for creating Afrobeats.