Afrobeat musician Femi Kuti has spoken candidly about the challenges of being the son of music icon Fela Kuti, and how he carved out his own identity in the industry.
Speaking on the Afropolitan podcast, Femi Kuti described the overwhelming expectations that followed him everywhere from childhood.
“In school, at the bus stop, everywhere — people would say, ‘Are you not going to be like your father? Won’t you play music?’ The pressure was too much. You must be like your father.”
He admitted that he eventually found clarity when he accepted that he could never be anyone else, not even his father.
“If God wanted me to be Fela, I would have been Fela. I had to be Femi Kuti.”
The musician recalled living with Fela for a time, even dressing like him, but ultimately choosing to break away and form his own band — a decision that was met with hostility.
“His fan base descended on me. They hated me. The press hated me. There was no internet then, so I couldn’t even defend myself.”
At a low point, Femi Kuti said his grandmother’s tough love jolted him back on track.
“She said, ‘What kind of lousy musician are you? You’ve been here for two weeks and you haven’t picked up your horn.’ I cried all night. But those words saved my life.”
Reflecting on his journey, Femi concluded that the struggle was part of becoming his own man.
“I had to feel my pain. I had to strive for my own success. Being under my father’s roof, I couldn’t even see that dream.”
