Femi Kuti, the son of renowned Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has apologised for drawing comparisons between his late father and current artist Wizkid and his late father.
In an interview with Arise Television, Femi emphasised that Nigeria has more urgent problems and called the debate pointless and ineffective.
After being provoked by Seun Kuti, Wizkid asserted that he was “bigger” than Fela, sparking controversy.
Femi refused to take part, arguing that Fela’s influence should be valued rather than contrasted with others.
“Seun is my brother, and Wizkid is like a son to me. I just wish the whole thing between them hadn’t happened, and I sincerely hope everyone will settle down soon.” “Every artist respects Fela, who is our father,” he remarked.
“Fela is the template musically and artistically in Nigeria,” he said, highlighting Fela’s pivotal role in the country’s music industry. He ought to be respected and placed in his own sector.
Femi urged Nigerians to concentrate on unification and nation-building, using Afrobeat’s international recognition to tackle problems like tribalism, corruption, and insecurity.
“Africa and Nigeria benefit from this recognition. We should use it to unite, develop our music industry, and build the nation,” he continued.
“For 29 years, he has been gone, yet we are still discussing the same issues,” he said, pointing out that many of the issues Fela sang about decades ago are still unresolved.
