You’re Not Fela” – Yeni Kuti Criticizes Singers For Comparing Themselves To Afrobeat Legend

According to Ireporter Online, Nigerian media personality Yeni Kuti has criticized singers who compare themselves to her father, Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. The remarks come in the wake of recent controversies, including statements from singer Wizkid, who claimed he is “bigger” than Fela while addressing criticisms from Fela’s son, Seun Kuti.

Yeni Kuti made the comments during an interview with Arise TV after joining her family to accept Fela’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Grammy Awards. She emphasized that Fela’s enduring influence nearly three decades after his passing speaks for itself and urged contemporary artists to honor his legacy rather than diminish it through comparisons.

She stated that artists should benchmark themselves against their contemporaries instead of legends like Fela, saying, “Don’t compare chalk and cheese. Fela is a legend, give him his flowers. He has done his part.” Yeni further stressed, “If you are still talking about him 29 years after his death and comparing yourself with him, you’re not a dead man walking. Comparing yourself with him is not a good thing. Compare yourself with your peers and leave our legends alone.”

Yeni concluded by calling for respect for musical icons, insisting that their legacies should remain untouched by contemporary rivalry.