‘I love Wizkid but he shouldn’t have insulted my father’ – Yeni Kuti
Yeni Kuti, first daughter of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has weighed in on the ongoing online feud between her brother, Seun Kuti, and Grammy-winning singer Wizkid, stating that the singer crossed a line by referencing her late father in the dispute. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
Speaking on TVC’s Your View on Thursday, Yeni stressed that her comments were not motivated by hostility towards Wizkid, whom she described as a longtime friend.
“I love Wizkid a lot, he is my paddy na. He is my small friend. I remember when he started at the Shrine, he was a backup singer. I cannot stop liking Wizkid,” she said.
However, Yeni said the situation escalated unnecessarily when Fela’s name was invoked during the social media clash.
“He did too much by insulting my father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. If you have a problem with someone, why are you now calling Fela out?” she questioned.
The feud reportedly began earlier this week following a social media exchange between Seun Kuti and Wizkid, which quickly escalated into personal insults. Fans and cultural commentators were shocked when the discussion turned to Fela’s legacy, sparking widespread outrage online.
Yeni also expressed disappointment over Wizkid’s handling of the situation, suggesting that the singer should have intervened earlier to prevent the feud from escalating.
“I wish when all these started, he had put a stop to it before it became what it is now,” she said.
She criticised the timing of the controversy, noting that it came at a moment when the Kuti family was preparing to honour Fela’s legacy.
“We are just about to celebrate our icon at the Grammy and you are all doing all this rubbish, as if you are trying to dirty something. It’s not Fela or Fela’s family you are dirtying, it’s Nigeria,” she said.
Yeni concluded by emphasising her father’s enduring influence on music and culture:
“Fela has done his own 27 years, 27 years, and you are still calling his name. That is just the answer to his greatness.”