Music star Wizkid on Tuesday issued a sharp public retort to activist-musician Seun Kuti, intensifying a simmering social media exchange that has drawn widespread attention.
In a post shared online, Wizkid dismissed Kuti with a blunt message, declaring: “Ok I big pass your papa. Wetin you wan do? F00ļ at 40.” The remark, delivered in a mix of English and Nigerian pidgin, quickly went viral and sparked heated debate among fans of both artistes.
The row stems around the legacy of Nigerian icon Fela Kuti, the afrobeat pioneer who did so much to extend his country’s music and culture around the globe.
Seun Kuti aims to keep the fire burning, but he has become enraged by comparisons made by Wizkid fans – known as Wizkid FC – and Fela Kuti. The youngest son of the afrobeat icon, Seun has posted a number of videos in the past few days, publicly accusing Wizkid FC of disrespecting his father.
In Seun’s opinion, any attempt to place a modern artist against Fela Kuti is wrong, and he warned of attempts to “steal the man’s image” before describing the comparisons as insulting.
In Seun’s opinion, Wizkid FC should “keep Fela’s name out of their mouth,” adding that calling Wizkid the new Fela is disrespectful.
“E nor go beta for all the Wizkid FC, Fela owns a Guinness World Record as one of the most recorded artists. Fela released 52 albums. He was in his prime from 1960 to 1997, dominating the scene for 37 years straight with no fall off,” Seun Kuti added.
Kuti, the son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti, is known for his confrontational style and vocal criticism of public figures. He had yet to issue a formal response at the time of publication.
The back-and-forth has dominated Nigerian social media timelines, with reactions split between those applauding Wizkid’s candour and others urging restraint from both artistes.
