No Musician Is Greater Than Fela Kuti

Again and again, the question has been asked: is Fela Kuti the greatest Nigerian musician ever, and can his greatness ever be matched?

The latest iteration of this conversation is driven by a long rant from Seun Kuti against a section of Wizkid’s fans (Wizkid FC) who opined that the Afrobeats star has matched and surpassed the greatness of Fela Kuti, an opinion his son considers a cardinal sin.

After several days of counterattacks against the tireless FC, the defence of Seun Kuti invariably stepped on Wizkid’s toes. The Afrobeats star replied with a shocking statement where he backed the thoughts of his fans by declaring himself greater than Fela.

The statement from Wizkid, though intended as a defence against the attack from Seun Kuti, has brought disrespect to the name of Fela Kuti, and this is simply unacceptable. 

As someone who has immersed myself to a decent extent in the work and impact of Fela Kuti, I will say it as it is. Wizkid goofed with that statement. Deleting the post within minutes suggests he appreciates the gravity of his errors. Even if he does not, I am here to simply tell him that no one is greater than Fela Kuti, not even him, with his generational impact.

Nigerian megastar Burna Boy is one of the most gifted and accomplished artists Nigerian music has ever seen. For all his genius, historic success, and polarising thoughts, there is one musician whom he considers supreme and head and shoulders above him. That is the Afrobeat pioneer and Nigerian musical deity, Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti. In an October 2025 appearance on the channel of Twitch streamer PlayboyMax, Burna Boy referred to Fela Kuti as the only one greater than him. 

Recently, when Nigerian hip-hop icon and legendary hitmaker Olamide Baddo was asked who he considers the greatest Nigerian artist, he chose Wizkid, whom he placed second only after Fela Kuti. These are the thoughts of Wizkid's peers, with whom he stands among the greatest musicians in Nigeria.

Musically, Fela Kuti is a genius whose gifts rival those of some of the most iconic musicians in history. We are talking about a man with the sheer talent and ability to define a genre and codify it as mainstream music that shaped Nigeria and gave Africa and the black race a voice on the global stage. 

Fela Kuti understood music from an academic standpoint, thanks to his studies at the prestigious Trinity College of Music in London. He also mastered the spirituality and power of sound. He took from Jazz and Funk and proceeded to Africanise them by creating percussion, structure, and composition that boldly carry African elements. He created a genre and called it Afrobeat.

He was a composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter who led every aspect of music creation in a manner largely unparalleled in Nigerian music history. Across his four-decade career, Fela Kuti recorded over fifty albums, selling tens of millions of copies. This brought him worldwide fame and respect, with several iconic artists like The Beatles, Paul McCartney, and Ginger Baker, who is considered Rock’s Music first superstar drummer, both coming to Lagos to witness his genius. Even Barack Obama, America’s first black president, called him a genius.

Yet he was not only a peerless composer, but it was what he did with the music and how his very existence was dedicated to humanity at a level so courageous, consistent, tireless, and surreal that it carries elements that’s the making of folklores and deification.  

“Music Is A Weapon” is one of the greatest quotes from a musician in human history, and it captures the mindset of Fela Kuti. He did not only make music; he was an avid thinker and a fierce revolutionary who used his gifts to fight for the oppressed at any cost.

At the height of Nigerian military misrule, Fela Kuti stood tall and spoke with an unshaken voice. At the risk of losing his life and career, he stood shoulder to shoulder with the masses, and recorded historic and commercially acclaimed albums like ‘Sorrow, Tears and Blood,’ ‘Zombie,’ ‘ITT,’ and ‘Coffin For Head of State’ that indicted the corrupt government.

He was a man of many names. He called himself Aníkúlápó, meaning "the one with death in his pouch." His fervent fans called him Abami Eda, meaning "the strange one or weird one," for his near-mythical persona, and The Black President for his tireless struggle for the global emancipation of the black race.

According to his autobiography, ‘Fela: This Bitch of a Life’ by writer Carlos Moore, he was arrested and docked over two hundred times. With every arrest and incarceration came a renewed strength to fight even harder for justice. His abode, called The Afrikan Shrine or the Kalakuta Republic, was a haven for the oppressed and outcasts who showed up with the full knowledge that will be embraced by the man who abandoned the privileges of his silver spoon to embrace a life of greater meaning.

The greatness of Fela Kuti exceeded just making music. He crafted the ultimate soundtrack of revolution while living every lyric and leading battles from the frontlines. He applied himself in a manner that lifted him beyond being just a successful musician. He soared to heights that put him next to the likes of Jamaican icon Bob Marley as a figure who has earned a place among the pantheon of musical deities.

Abami Eda was the embodiment of the revolutionary blood that ran through his family. His mother, Chief Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, was a fierce activist who lost her life to the assault of the Nigerian military, who came after Fela for being a thorn in their flesh. His brothers, Beko and Koye, were accomplished medical doctors and activists. His children, Femi, Yeni, and Seun, and his grandson Made, have all carried on his legacy.

There is not a single musician in the history of Nigerian music, and possibly even Africa, who has given as much to humanity as Olufela Anikulapo Ransome Kuti.

Although Wizkid is perhaps Africa's greatest contemporary artist who expanded Nigerian pop music and redefined the identity of the average African youth on the global stage, he neither created a genre nor has his impact extended beyond music as much as that of Fela. Wizkid is great, but he is not greater. That he has Fela boldly tatted on his arm says it all.

Comparisons are normal among fans. Great artists are always compared to weigh their greatness, often in a manner that caters to the sentiment of different groups. Beyoncé’s fans have compared her to every great musician in American history.
Chris Brown has been consistently compared to Michael Jackson. The gift and impact of Kendrick Lamar have been weighed against that of 2Pac.

Hence, it is not surprising that Wizkid is being compared to Fela Kuti. Recently, acclaimed record producer and musician Jermaine Dupri referred to late California rapper Nipsey Hussle as Jesus in a Substack article that sparked social media reactions. 

Sometimes, these comparisons take a disrespectful undertone. In the case of Fela Kuti, the comparison led to an interminable rant from Seun Kuti, who felt compelled to defend the legacy of his father.

While I will not attempt to legislate on the nature of engaging fan bases in such debates, I consider it a futile attempt, especially when it is drawn out to become a spectacle. It is a waste of time since it is always clear that these fans are decidedly resistant to superior argument and lack a robust and contextual appreciation of history. 

Fela Kuti's Legacy has continued to endure 29 years after his passing. The entire Nigerian music industry is inspired by his greatness. Documentaries have been made about his life. His legend has been studied in schools and made into a sold-out Broadway show. The staying power of his music is unprecedented, and his name symbolises the struggle for justice globally. Rollingstone considers him among the greatest global musicians of all time, and the Recording Academy has honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. He's widely considered one of the greatest Africans to ever lived. This is the legacy before us.

I firmly believe that the task of protecting Fela Kuti's legacy is incumbent on us all, especially as Nigerians. We must appreciate his supreme gifts and unparalleled contributions to music and the emancipation of the Black race. We must be eager and willing tell the world that many are great, but there is none greater than Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti.