- Seun Kuti and Wizkid’s online feud revived discussions around Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s enduring influence and legacy
- The controversy drew renewed attention to Fela’s music as a powerful tool for political resistance and social commentary
- Legit.ng revisited some of the late icon’s songs for how boldly they challenged authority and confronted government oppression
The Nigerian internet has seen intense debates among Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z over the impact of legendary multi-instrumentalist and composer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
Recall that the late music icon’s youngest son, Seun Kuti, has been embroiled in a heated online feud with Afrobeats star Wizkid over comparisons drawn between the contemporary singer and his father.
Source: Instagram
What began as Seun’s attempt to defend the Afrobeat pioneer’s legacy has since reignited conversations around what truly set Fela apart, his uncompromising political activism.
Today, Legit.ng highlights five Fela songs that boldly confronted the government.
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Fela’s bold songs against Nigerian government
Zombie released in 1976
Zombie is a 12-minute song released in Nigeria by Coconut Records in 1976 and in the United Kingdom by Creole Records in 1977.
The record criticised the Nigerian government and is said to have resulted in the assassination of Kuti’s mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, as well as the military’s destruction of his commune, the Kalakuta Republic.
The controversial song was reported to be directed at Nigerian soldiers, using the zombie metaphor to depict the military’s practices.
The general public fell in love with the track at the time it was released, while it triggered the Nigerian government.
Shortly after the song became a viral sensation, the Nigerian army launched a savage attack on the Kalakuta Republic, with one thousand soldiers attacking the structure and everyone in it. Kuti was badly beaten, and his elderly mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was thrown out a second-story window, resulting in fatal injuries.
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The Kalakuta Republic was burned down, and Kuti’s studio equipment and master tapes were destroyed.
Coffin for Head of State released in 1981
Following the brutal attack, Fela’s mum Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti eventually passed away due to medical complications.
He responded to the military attack by delivering his mother’s coffin to the main army barracks in Lagos. After this, he released two songs, including Coffin for Head of State.
It was reported that Fela, his wives and his followers, in a bold act of grief and defiance, carried his mother’s coffin to the front gate of the army barracks, asserting that his dead mother in the coffin should assume the position of president of Nigeria
After leaving the barracks, reports claim that Fela and the protesters were violently attacked one more time by soldiers.
Unknown Soldier released in 1979
Unknown Soldier is the second song inspired by his mother’s inhumane death.
The epic 31-minute tribute to his late mother is one of Kuti’s most emotional songs. It describes in horrifying detail the events that occurred on the eve of the Kalakuta raid.
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Kuti provides a pained, powerful performance of what happened that tragic day.
The phrase “them kill my mama” are repeated, Fela’s voice wounded by sorrow and the pitch distorted.
He then recounts his mother’s accomplishments. A lady who, in a rational society, would be protected as a precious national asset. She was seventy-eight years old when she was brutally tossed out the window.
Beasts of No Nation released in 1989
Fela’s infamous track was released in 1989 and credited to his band Egypt 80.
Kuti began thinking about the album while in jail for foreign currency violations and wrote the songs following his release.
The title tune accuses the Nigerian government and military of crimes against the Nigerian people; among other issues, the album opposes apartheid.
Authority Stealing released in 1980
Authority Stealing is a groovy 24-minute hit that criticises the ruling class and Nigerian authorities for misusing power and accumulating wealth at the expense of the Nigerian people. It equates them to armed thieves
“If a gun steals eighty thousand Naira,” Fela sings, the pens of the authorities in command of the country’s funds “go steal two billion Naira.” And, he adds, no one mentions it.
This song, like many others, discusses how the government steals and loots the country’s resources regularly and goes unpunished, yet the petty criminal is slain and burned every day.
For him, those in positions of authority are simply civilised thieves who get away with their crimes because of their status.
Wizkid reacts to feud with Seun Kuti
We earlier reported that Wizkid finally reacted to the ongoing online clash between Seun Kuti and Wizkid FC by sharing a video criticising the Afrobeat singer on his Instagram story
The tension stemmed from Seun Kuti’s claims that Wizkid’s fanbase disrespects Fela Anikulapo-Kuti by comparing Wizkid to the late Afrobeat legend
While Wizkid FC denied making such comparisons, the feud continued to stir debate about legacy, respect, and modern Afrobeats