Maverick Nigerian musician Seun Kuti has cautioned Afrobeats artists against comparing themselves to his late father, the legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
The Grammy-nominated singer said he takes issue with Afrobeats artists who describe themselves as modern-day equivalents of Fela simply because they have sampled his music or drawn inspiration from his sound.
Kuti clarified that he has no problem with artists sampling his father’s work, but strongly objects to claims that such samples place them on the same pedestal as the late music icon.
He made the remarks during a recent episode of the Hits Don’t Lie podcast.
“A few people have done good samples of Fela’s music,” Kuti 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. It’s crazy when people say they are the ‘New Fela.’ Where is the ‘New Bob Marley’? You don’t hear that elsewhere. It’s only in Nigeria,” he added.
Several Afrobeats artistes, including Wizkid and Burna Boy, have been compared to Fela over the years after sampling his music or incorporating Afrobeat elements into their work.
Street-hop artistes such as Bella Shmurda and Portable have also, at different times, publicly referred to themselves as the “New Fela.”
The debate was further fuelled late last year when rapper Olamide described Wizkid as “the greatest Afrobeats artiste after Fela,” a statement that generated mixed reactions within the music community.
Seun Kuti’s comments have reignited conversations around legacy, originality, and the distinction between inspiration and equivalence in African music.
"Sampling Fela doesn't make you Fela…"
– Seun Kuti pic.twitter.com/pMLJmAyc3b
— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) January 15, 2026
