You can’t compare yourself with Fela till you stand up against government, Daddy Freeze tells Wizkid

Media personality Ifedayo Olarinde, widely known as Daddy Freeze, has weighed in on the intense online arguments comparing global Afrobeats star Wizkid with Afrobeat icon Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

Speaking in a recent video broadcast, Daddy Freeze maintained that such comparisons are misplaced, stressing that Fela’s legacy went far beyond music to include deep-rooted activism and personal sacrifice.

He portrayed Fela not just as an entertainer but as a committed freedom fighter, philanthropist, and fearless opponent of oppressive leadership.

According to Daddy Freeze, Wizkid would need to show comparable real-life bravery and conviction before any meaningful comparison could be made.

He said, “Until Wizkid is ready to stand up and stone the government, he shouldn’t compare himself to Fela”.

The media personality went on to recount Fela’s ordeals, including repeated imprisonments, physical abuse, and his eventual release from prison in 1995 due to ill health, a move he said was meant to avert public backlash should Fela die in custody.

“Did you know that Fela was released from prison just to prevent him from dying there?. They released him to go and die at his home because they knew his death would spark an uproar if he died in the prison. That was 1995, I was a fresher in the university then,” he added.

Daddy Freeze emphasised that Fela was never a mere agitator, noting that his music and activism were inseparably linked and served as instruments for social and political reform.

“Fela was not a troublemaker; he was a freedom fighter. We are talking about music, but I cannot talk about Fela, if I don’t talk about everything he stood for. His activism and music went hand-in-glove. You can’t separate the two,” he added.