Yeni Kuti, the first child of late Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo‑Kuti, has addressed the online clash between singer Wizkid and her brother Seun Kuti.
The dispute began last week when Seun criticised Wizkid’s fanbase, Wizkid FC, for comparing the singer’s influence to that of their father. The exchange escalated when Wizkid responded by saying, “I’m bigger than your father,” sparking widespread reactions online.
Speaking on TVC’s Your View programme on Thursday, Yeni said she chose not to get involved in the feud because of her friendship with Wizkid.
“I love Wizkid a lot. You know, Wizkid is my padi now. When two giants fight, it’s the grass that suffers. I refuse to enter some of the insults that they are hauling because I love Wizkid a lot. Wizkid is my padi now and my small friend. We have come a long way together. I remember when we started that shrine, he was a backup singer and the shrine during Felabration,” she said.
Yeni urged the public to focus on celebrating Fela’s legacy instead of fuelling disputes.
“So, there’s no way I can ever not like Wizkid. I like him and I wish at the beginning, he had quickly put a stop to it but he didn’t. Let’s mend fences, we are one people. We’re just about to go and celebrate our icon at the Grammy and you’re all doing as if you are trying to dent it. It’s not Fela or Fela family that you are denting, it’s all Nigeria,” she added.
She also highlighted Fela’s lasting influence:
“Whichever way you look at it, this one is bigger than Fela, that one is bigger than Fela. He started the journal of music, he’s an icon, and so if you have problems, why are you attacking him? … What people don’t understand is Fela has been dead for 27 years. And you are still mentioning his name. That’s just answer to his greatness. So let’s just respect that. Fight yourselves you that are alive and leave the man that has done his own and gone.”
