Apple Uses Fela Kuti’s 1971 Song to Unveil Its Latest Macbook Air

The global music community recently received a reminder of the staying power of Fela Kuti’s music after his hit 1971 single ‘Let’s Start’ with the African 70 Band & Ginger Baker was used by Apple in the advert unveiling the company’s MacBook M5 Air.

The video clip has gone viral on social media and attracted reactions from fans who celebrated the use of Fela Kuti’s music and saw it as a testament to the Afrobeat pioneer’s enduring impact and legacy. The advert also generated interest from observers who pointed out the big payday the Fela Kuti estate will be getting.

The quality and impact of Fela Kuti’s music are immutable. However, what is even more impressive is the commercial and social relevance of his work, which continues to break new ground. It costs top dollar for Apple, the second most valuable company in the world license a song for the promotion of one of its premium and high-end products.

The licensing fee for the usage of Fela Kuti’s ‘Let’s Start’ would go to whoever owns the masters right to the song, which, in this case, based on information available on streaming platforms, appears to be the estate of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti under exclusive license to Kalakuta Sunrise Limited.

It’s perhaps the impressive revenues Fela Kuti’s music generates that recently led his son, Grammy-nominated Afrobeat star Seun Kuti, to boast about receiving tens of thousands of dollars from his father’s estate even years after his passing.

READ MORE: The Different Types of Music Royalties

The use of ‘Let’s Start’ in the Apple MacBook advert isn’t the first high-profile use of the song. In 2021, the song was featured in the soundtrack of the 2021 Netflix Western movie ‘The Harder They Fall.’

Fela Kuti’s songs have also been used in other popular commercial materials. In 2025, his song ‘Sorrow, Tears and Blood’ was featured in the Oscar-nominated movie ‘Sinners.’ In 2008, his hit record ‘Zombie’ was used in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto IV.

His catalogue has also been widely sampled by several iconic global stars, including J Cole, Burna Boy, NAS, Jay Z, Wyclef, Missy Elliot, and Wizkid.