Afrobeat torchbearer Seun Kuti has drawn a bold line in the sand, unleashing a fiery response to fans of Nigerian superstar Wizkid who continue to compare the pop icon to his late father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
In an emotionally charged Instagram livestream, Seun dismissed the comparisons as ignorant, disrespectful, and dangerously dismissive of Afrobeat history.
Visibly frustrated, the Grammy-winning musician made it clear that Fela’s name should not be dragged into modern fan wars. Addressing Wizkid FC, he issued a blunt warning: “Keep Fela’s name out of your mouths.” To Seun, the issue goes far beyond music charts or global acclaim. He insists that equating Wizkid’s success with Fela’s legacy strips the Afrobeat pioneer of what truly defined him — fearless activism, political resistance, and a cultural revolution that shook power structures across Africa.
According to Seun, Fela was never just an entertainer. He was a movement. A disruptor. A voice that challenged military regimes and paid the price with arrests, brutality, and exile. Reducing that legacy to streaming numbers or international awards, Seun argues, is not admiration — it is erasure.
“You want to crown your artiste the new Fela,” Seun said, “but when you realise the shoes are too big to fill, you suddenly change the narrative.” To him, such comparisons expose a shallow understanding of what Afrobeat truly represents.
His criticism didn’t stop there. Seun went on to describe Wizkid’s fan base as the “most ignorant in the world,” claiming their obsession with comparisons reflects insecurity rather than genuine appreciation for art. He suggested that constantly measuring today’s stars against past legends reveals a deeper dissatisfaction with the music fans claim to celebrate.
Beyond the clash of fan cultures, Seun also lamented the damage online rivalry has done to Nigeria’s music industry. In his view, toxic fandom has turned art into competition, discouraging collaboration and drowning meaningful conversations in noise. “Why can’t you enjoy your artist without dragging someone else into it?” he asked.
As expected, Seun’s remarks have split social media. Supporters applaud his fierce defence of Fela’s legacy and his refusal to let history be rewritten. Critics, however, argue that comparisons are inevitable in music and point to Wizkid’s undeniable global impact as proof of his greatness.
One thing is certain: Seun Kuti has reignited an old debate — not just about Wizkid and Fela, but about how legends are remembered, respected, and sometimes misunderstood in the age of fandom.
