Seun Kuti, the Grammy-nominated musician and son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has cautioned contemporary Afrobeats artists against comparing themselves to his legendary father.

Speaking on the Hits Don’t Lie podcast, Seun stressed that while sampling Fela’s music or drawing inspiration from his style is acceptable, it does not make anyone a modern-day Fela. He emphasized the importance of respecting Fela’s legacy rather than attempting to replicate it.

“A few people have done good samples of Fela’s music,” Seun said. “But the only critique that I have is that sampling Fela doesn’t make you Fela. People should stop saying they are my dad. That is crazy. It’s crazy when people claim to be the ‘New Fela.’”

Seun expressed disbelief over the trend, pointing out that such comparisons are unique to Nigeria. “Where is the ‘Bob Marley’? It is only here you hear such wild stuff,” he added.

Over the years, many Afrobeats stars, including Wizkid and Burna Boy, have been likened to Fela due to their use of samples from his music. Even street-hop artists such as Bella Shmurda and Portable have referred to themselves as the “New Fela.”

Late last year, rapper Olamide sparked discussions when he declared Wizkid as “the greatest Afrobeats artist after Fela,” fueling further debate about the legacy of the Afrobeat legend.

Seun’s message underlines the need for contemporary artists to honor Fela’s unparalleled contributions to music rather than adopt his persona as a benchmark.