Afrobeats singer Seun Kuti has warned fellow artists not to liken themselves to his late father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, stressing that sampling Fela’s music does not place them on the same level as the legendary icon.
Speaking on the Hits Don’t Lie podcast, Kuti criticised artists who label themselves the “New Fela” simply because they have sampled his father’s music or taken inspiration from his style.
He noted that this trend is largely unique to Nigeria, pointing to artists such as Wizkid and Burna Boy who have sampled Fela’s music and subsequently been compared to him.
Kuti said, “A few people have done good samples of Fela’s music. 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 crazy when people say that they are the ‘New Fela.’ Where is the ‘Bob Marley’? It is only in Nigeria you hear such. We so wild stuff here. People are wild.”