Grammy-nominated musician, Seun Kuti, has strongly criticised the recurring comparison of Afrobeats star, Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, to his late father and Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, describing it as insulting.
Speaking during an Instagram livestream, the singer warned Wizkid’s fan base, known as Wizkid FC, to desist from portraying the Ojuelegba crooner as a modern-day version of Fela.
According to Seun Kuti, placing any contemporary artiste, including Wizkid, on the same pedestal as Fela amounts to a distortion and disrespect of the Afrobeat pioneer’s legacy.
He said members of Wizkid FC should stop mentioning Fela in their attempts to elevate their favourite artiste, insisting that such comparisons were inappropriate.
Seun Kuti further accused Wizkid’s fans of lacking respect, noting that their attitude was borne out of ignorance rather than defiance. While stating that defiance could be admirable, he stressed that ignorance was unacceptable.
The singer lamented what he described as persistent online disrespect towards Fela by Wizkid’s supporters, questioning why the late musician was constantly dragged into fan debates.
He also blamed excessive fan rivalry for negatively impacting the music industry, noting that such hostility had discouraged collaborations among artistes.
Seun Kuti described Wizkid FC as the “most ignorant fanbase in the world” and urged them to focus on enjoying Wizkid’s music without drawing comparisons to other musicians.
He argued that the inability of some fans to appreciate their preferred artiste without reference to others suggested a lack of spiritual fulfilment derived from the music, adding that such satisfaction could not be achieved through comparison.
Leave a Reply