"There Would Be No Fela Without Ransome-Kuti": Seun Kuti Explains Father’s Greatness
- Seun Kuti revealed that his legendary father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, benefited from the privileges of his famous family name to achieve success
- The musician explained that growing up in the Ransome-Kuti family opened doors but also brought great pressure to maintain high standards and work hard
- Seun Kuti embraced the nepotism label while clarifying that having a famous surname does not replace the personal effort and talent required to remain relevant
Seun Kuti, son of the late Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has said his father’s greatness was closely tied to his privileged background as the child of nationalist and activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.
Speaking in a recent interview on Ada’s Room, the singer explained that Fela’s upbringing gave him certain advantages, though his success was also built on hard work and resilience.
Source: Instagram
Seun Kuti emphasised that nothing in life comes from nothing, pointing out that Fela’s fame would not have been possible without his mother’s influence.
“In life, nothing comes from nothing. Even my father; Fela cannot be as great as he is if he wasn’t Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti’s son. If Fela was not born by Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, there would be no Fela. You would never have heard about him.”
The Grammy-nominated musician added that in their family, children are raised to work hard and not rely on their background.
“So, nothing comes from nothing. But the good thing about my family is that you have to work. There is no shortcuts to it.”
Seun Kuti acknowledged that being Fela’s son opens doors but also comes with heavy expectations.
“I can be a Nepo baby, but my father is not on stage playing my sax or writing my songs or touring with me. My father’s name would definitely open doors for me, but as soon as you slide in, there is pressure on you to meet the standard he set.”
Fela's youngest son explained that society expects greatness from anyone born into a great family, which creates pressure for younger generations.
“The fact that you are from a great family, people expect you to have that greatness. Nobody in the professional world wants to be patient with you and watch you grow or invest in you as an artiste. They just assume you have greatness in you and that puts you under a lot of pressure.”
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Fans react to Seun Kuti's claims
Legit.ng compiled the reactions of netizens below:
Social media users shared mixed thoughts about the singer's comments on family privileges.
@Dorren06:
"Seun Kuti has a point tho. So I do agree with him"
@BigNonny0:
"That's how davido father opened door for davido but he kept the standard and see where he is and I will do as well nothing comes from nothing."
@OlaOladele7:
"but you are still a nepo baby you are just making us realize your daddy eas a Nepo too"
@ProsperUfo7253:
"Nepo baby or not, talent still has to do the talking."
Seun Kuti speaks on kidnapping
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Seun Kuti criticised the continuous kidnapping of school children following a recent abduction in Oyo State.
The musician released a video recalling how similar incidents occurred during Goodluck Jonathan's administration and persisted under former President Buhari.
He argued that crying on social media cannot solve the nation's security challenges because the government ignores online protests.
Source: Legit.ng
