Wizkid vs Fela: ‘I wish it never came up’ — Femi Kuti breaks silence

By Ayobami Okerinde

Grammy-nominated Afrobeat legend, Femi Kuti, has expressed concerns over the growing comparisons between his late father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, and afrobeats star, Wizkid, describing the debate as unnecessary and distracting.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, Femi said he deliberately chose not to engage in the controversy, stressing that Nigeria faces more pressing challenges than celebrity comparisons.

His comments come amid days of intense social media debates sparked by arguments over Fela’s legacy and whether modern Afrobeat stars should be likened to him, a development that has drawn reactions from musicians, fans and cultural commentators alike.

The controversy gathered momentum after Seun Kuti, Fela’s youngest son, openly criticised attempts by fans of Wizkid, popularly known as “FC”, to portray the artiste as the “new Fela.” During a live Instagram session, Seun accused the fan base of repeatedly invoking his father’s name in online music debates.

He argued that likening Wizkid to Fela diminished the cultural, musical and political legacy the Afrobeat icon built over decades, insisting that his father’s name should not be used as a comparison point in contemporary music discussions.

The exchange later escalated into personal attacks, with Seun also addressing disputes over his long-standing nickname, Big Bird, and accusing Wizkid’s camp of fuelling the controversy rather than discouraging it, while maintaining that his criticism was directed at fan culture, not Wizkid personally.

Following days of exchanges, Wizkid reacted by posting a video of a woman criticising Seun’s conduct before making direct and insulting posts aimed at him on Instagram. Seun responded by referencing corporate tributes to Fela, noting that millions of naira had been spent to honour his father’s legacy.

Reacting to the controversy, Femi Kuti said comparisons involving Fela should never have arisen.

“Fela is our father, and I would say all the younger artists respect him. I don’t think it’s an issue that should have been brought up because he’s the template of many things musically and artistically in Nigeria,” he said.

He added, “Fela should just be put in a section of his own, and we just idolise and respect him.”

Femi declined to take sides in the feud, noting his personal relationship with both parties. “I don’t want to go into Seun and Wizkid’s matter because Seun is my brother and Wizkid is like a son. I just wish it did not arise. Hopefully, everybody will calm down very soon.”

He urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to redirect their energy towards national development rather than divisive debates.

“Nigeria has been participating in the Grammys so much these days. It’s good for Africa and the country; it’s good we’re getting the recognition we deserve. So, we should just be happy for ourselves and use this to build the music industry and the country. Tribalism and terrorism are big issues in the country today; those are the things young people and I should be focused on today.”

Femi is not the only member of the Kuti family to react. Earlier, Yeni Kuti, Fela’s daughter, cautioned against public feuds involving cultural icons, warning that such clashes damage Nigeria’s image.

Speaking on TVC’s Your View, she said, “When two giants fight, it’s the ground that suffers. In this situation, it’s Nigeria’s reputation that is suffering because we are now seen as a people that do not respect our icons. Whichever way you look at it, he started a genre of music. He’s an icon, so if you have a problem, why are you attacking him? He has done his own, and he has gone. He has been dead 27 years, and we are still mentioning his name; that is the answer to his greatness. Let us respect that.”

“I refused to respond to some of the insults that they have been hurling, and I love Wizkid a lot. He’s my small friend, and we have come a long way together. I remember when he was a backup singer at the shrine during Felabration.”

Meanwhile, the debate comes as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti is set to be posthumously honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, making him the first African artist to receive the distinction.

Speaking on the recognition, Femi described the honour as deeply emotional, particularly for those who witnessed Fela’s battles with military dictatorship in Nigeria. He noted that the award reflects decades of effort by the Kuti family and the global Afrobeat community to preserve Fela’s legacy through music, scholarship and cultural celebration.

“Everybody is very happy. We’re excited. I’m in Los Angeles right now, and it’s very hard to really explain, unless you were alive in the 1970s, what my father did, fighting dictatorship in Nigeria at that time. People were very frightened of the military.”

“My elder sister, my brother Seun, my son Made, and the rest of the family have all done our little bit to keep talking about him. You have musicians playing his music. You have people studying his music. You have Afrobeat artists today inspired by him. People are sampling his music.”

He added, “To top it with one of the biggest awards in the world, the Grammys, what more can we want? But it’s not for the family alone. Fela was a father to many people. That’s why we say ‘our father’. He was a voice for the voiceless in the 1970s and 1980s.”

Reflecting on Nigeria’s stalled development, Femi said many of the issues his father protested against decades ago remain unresolved.

“Africa—Nigeria—should be the envy of the world. It’s shameful that we are still struggling with basic infrastructure. What is so hard about making Nigeria great?”

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