The youngest son of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti and new father Seun Kuti tells City People mag about the limitations his dad's name has brought to his music career....
"I dont believe that being Fela's son has helped my career. Yes I am fela's son. Yes I grew up to love music through him. Most people believe it's easier looking in, when you are out. Everything just seems easier that way. But I keep saying that the fact that I am Fela's son, for me it didn't really help me musically. The fact that I am Fela's son has brought me more stress than good fortune. I believe if I wasn't Fela's son with my amount of talent and what I have been able to achieve, I would have gone far. What people see in Nigeria is 'Hey, he is just like his father. Who is seun? Oh, he is Fela's son' and that is it. They dont bother to look deep into what I am doing. I see them singing high praises of people here that for me, musically, I dont see what they are singing. What I am saying is Yes I am Fela's son but it still took me 10 years to get my record deal after his death.
Me I believe I have paid my dues. There was no Fela's name helping me get anything. My brother, Femi, won that lottery, I have to say. There was already one Kuti out there. It's like that with music families. There is only one person that is pushed by the name. The others have to strive. Being Fela's son, especially when you have a brother that is already out there, will make it difficult for you after him. What that does to you is that they listen, but before they listen, they have already set the standard so high. I am lucky that still with all the talk and comparisons all the time, I am still able to break my own barriers and we are doing our own thing. The band and I, and we have achieved great success. Since the first album, internationally, we have been able to close that chapter of people comparing us. They now know that we are our own force. Right now the band has made more money, played in more places than they ever did under my dad.
oh really...you think say na beans...mtchew
ReplyDeleteSo e has music ??hw cum i havent heard any ? All i knw is dat e is felas son...
ReplyDeleteWitty sayings bt all I see is still Fela's kind of music init?#justasking#
ReplyDeleteGod bless your hustle more
ReplyDeleteYawnsssssss!
ReplyDeleteHow wld u like ur K "fried or boiled?
U r a useless somebody for wah u jst said "nwa oseaka"
ReplyDeletebia!!! Seun mind uR speach.. FELA z watchin yhU wif 0ne eyE:::
ReplyDeletewell well....that being said can we get on now please?. thank u
ReplyDeleteReally seun....you should even be thankful u are where you are.
ReplyDeleteEven this interview u had u owe it to Fela.
ReplyDeleteBe grateful for once
~BONARIO~says so via NOKIA3310
Wow! I love ur striving spirit Seun. Things will only get better.
ReplyDeleteEyaa I really feel him on this one.
Deleteoh well then
ReplyDeletewe all know your the true son
of your father.. Fela Anikulapo Kuti
Discover the hidden weight loss secret of top Celebrity
I feel wat he z saying sha
ReplyDeleteThat's a surprise to me taught his father fame would make things easier for him
ReplyDeleteYour comment will be visible after approval
Dude get a profession! Stop commenting just becus u need free 100k. Get a job! U owe ur mom dat
DeleteLe nu e seun! Haha in ur yoruba accent!* lol* y u go say u don go more tours pass ur papa! Ironi joor! Say somtin else!!
ReplyDeleteIf the name was such a bother he should have changed his last name, Nicholas Cage did it and look how great his career turned out. He didn't want people to judge him by his successful family's career, so he didn't bear the family name Coppola and opted for Cage instead. Seun should have done the same thing. Hilary Obiorah
ReplyDeletethat is house hold name man
ReplyDeleteMy dear Life is turn by turn.dnt b jealous of ur broda ur time will surely comes
ReplyDeletetrue talk seun
ReplyDeleteFeel ya seun, we all pay our dues one way or the other, rich pop or not.
ReplyDeletethis guy is sooo annoying who made him a celeb mtcheeeeew
ReplyDeleteMy dear Life is turn by turn.dnt b jealous of ur broda ur time will surely comes
ReplyDeletethis guy is sooo annoying who made him a celeb mtcheeeeew
ReplyDeleteDon't get him though!
ReplyDeleteAsk someone to read and explain to u....
DeleteThe rich also cry...
ReplyDeleteLinda, he may be right or is he trying to make us forget d great fela and c him as him. Either way, fela standard was too high irrespective of wr he has played and etc!
ReplyDeletethis seun sha,typical fela' son
ReplyDeleteI don hear u!but be thankful baba fela don make way una
ReplyDeleteHmmm. God bless ur hustle more.
ReplyDeleteI see! If not for ur father I wouldn't have knwn u.
ReplyDeleteWell these goes to show that hard work really pays.. keep doing ur tin seun, God is ur muscle.
ReplyDeleteOkies u can still qo farther if u so wish. Its he who wears d shoes dat knows exactly where it pinch.
ReplyDeleteWow dis is a gud one
ReplyDeleteIs becos u re Gay dat is y thins is getting worst in ur side repaint go 2 any pastor they'll pray 4 u, u will blow u no see wizkid or davido I tire 4 u oooh guy noting like humble ur self leave Gay is an evil be 4 God destroy u ooh
ReplyDeleteAbeg which school you go, lmao
DeleteIs becos u re Gay dat is y thins is getting worst in ur side repaint go 2 any pastor they'll pray 4 u, u will blow u no see wizkid or davido I tire 4 u oooh guy noting like humble ur self leave Gay is an evil be 4 God destroy u ooh
ReplyDeleteOde oshi who talk gay matter here now ehhhh why can't people just comment reasonably stecheeeeeewww person dey talk wetin dey pain am u open u guter filled mouth dey yarn gay matter
DeleteMbok Jona this gay bill way u sign go cause wahala cause some peeps won't have any thing in their brain to think about but see every other thing as gay
@ swaggs isimemen . Grammar is definitely not your language .lol and you need to pray for high IQ in 2014. Cause your comment does not make any sense.
DeleteLmao, wtf, which school you go
DeleteIs becos u re Gay dat is y thins is getting worst in ur side repaint go 2 any pastor they'll pray 4 u, u will blow u no see wizkid or davido I tire 4 u oooh guy noting like humble ur self leave Gay is an evil be 4 God destroy u ooh
ReplyDeleteOk!
ReplyDeleteEffect of medical marijuana..........next linda post my coment ooooooooooo
ReplyDeleteAbeg park well jare. Next pls.
ReplyDeleteSeun..........this your lips black sha!
ReplyDeleteIs dis dude Ok?
ReplyDeleteHe is saying the truth.
ReplyDeleteOr mayb u for no dey do music...
ReplyDeleteC.E.O
Seun no one is to blame but yourself. You look so much like your dad (bar the skin colour of course) and you sang his song always and used his band. Why won't you be compared?
ReplyDeleteSibling rivalry...lol. Brovas always gon compete.itz bin dat way since cain n abel,esau n jacob....
ReplyDeleteEyaah.. You just need to work hard on ur own!
ReplyDeleteSeun trust me ur father's name as helped u a lot cos to me u just there u can't compare ursef to Femi his got so much talent
ReplyDeleteUhm no....Femi did not win any lottery o! Maybe this boy is to young to remember when Femi was hustling and putting out music initially...but he is.where he is because of hardwork...abi dem dey nominate am.for Grammy because of Fela? Abeg talk what you know and keep Femi name from your mouth.
ReplyDeleteIf you were not Fela's son,you would have been nowhere close to where you are today.
ReplyDeleteI understand u my frnd. U made sense, dats how I see u, fela's son. There nothing for him 2 sing again
ReplyDeleteMeaning?u shuld be happy dud,ur dad name has taken u far,most of ur songs u do are remix from ur dad's song.
ReplyDeleteEeyah pele..., Omo daddy
ReplyDeleteOn the contrary, you would have been one of the dregs wandering the volatile shanties of Ajegunle. Pray, tell ONE thing of significance you have added to the music industry or any career-path worth the mention? Just one. With the half-soaked education you have, pray, tell what really does your marijuana-clogged mind tell you, you would have amounted to?
ReplyDeleteKeep telling people that but in your quiet you know better.
U copied ur fada's style nd ur here sayin trash
ReplyDeleteI totally understand where he is coming from. If he wasn't Fela's son, he could have been a popular celeb on his own like tuface,psquare and the rest of them as no one judges or compares them to thier parents. Seun continue to do you and as you know, haters would always hate and your fans would always Love you. Just wish Nigerians could see the way you sell out venues in Europe and round the world rather than being feed with make believe instagram hype by othe celebrities.
ReplyDeleteI think ur dad made u who u are
ReplyDeleteSeun,without fela,s name u will nt gt were u re now,after all u re nt a musician,u copied all his song,so why re u complaining.linda plz nxt topic.
ReplyDeleteStory!!! With what?
ReplyDeleteYour band has made more money than your dad because your dad wasnt all about more...hiss..you sound like a loser
ReplyDeleteDon't know what to say.
ReplyDeleteitz nt realy 2c inside when u out.
ReplyDeleteHahaha. Painment... dude you need to work hard. Femi is a Legend and he worked for it.
ReplyDeleteAccording to femi when he was hustling... don't drink and smoke again....
With what, with Ganja? I beg go seat down for Dorty...
ReplyDeleteWith what, with Ganja? I beg go seat down for Dorty...
ReplyDeleteDo ur work and stop complaining. Never heard any of his songs, just know him because he is Fela's son. Stop using ur fathers name as an excuse.
ReplyDeleteNa wa for u ☺º°˚˚°ºoo if Fela name no bring ǦƠ̴̴̴̴͡.̮Ơ̴̴͡D̶̲̥̅̊ luck to u the ur stage name then. Abi watin self
ReplyDeleteI fink he's sayin d truth
ReplyDeleteWho is dis Guy...cus my dad (fela)did not tell me I had an ungrateful and black mouthed brother
ReplyDeleteActually, when I watch Seun performing in videos, I see like somebody trying very much to recreate Fela's way of dancing n performance, so make s everyone to see him more as Fela's son n also as someone trying to represent Fela. So what Seun has to do really is to form his own stage identity n personality as an artiste inst of trying to recreate Fela when he'd in stage. That's what makes Femi more successful as an artiste bcuz he has forged his own unique stage identity, so when u see him perform, u can't relate his performance n dancing to the way Fela did it.
ReplyDeleteHmm owk...wok harder...!ut if not 4 baba fela I wouldn't hav kw u..?
ReplyDeleteOk we haf ear....
ReplyDeleteYour Father, seun who u help , who know you lock up your rubbish song, Fooooooolllllllllllllllllllll
ReplyDelete