Media personality, Ifedayo Olarinde, popularly known as Daddy Freeze, has dismissed comparisons between the late Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, and Grammy Award-winning singer Ayo Balogun, better known as Wizkid.
Daddy Freeze, in a video shared online, said Wizkid cannot be compared to Fela, stressing that the influence of the late Afrobeat legend surpasses music.
According to him, Wizkid can only earn the right to be compared to Fela when he can protest against the government and fight for civil rights.
Daddy Freeze emphasised that Fela was not just a musician but also a staunch activist and philanthropist.
He said, “Until Wizkid is ready to stand up and stone government, he shouldn’t compare himself to Fela. Did you know that Fela was released from prison just to prevent him from dying there?
“They released him to go and die at his home because they knew his death would spark an uproar if he died in the prison. That was 1995, I was a fresher in the university then.
“Fela was not a troublemaker; he was a freedom fighter. We are talking about music, but I cannot talk about Fela, if I don’t talk about everything he stood for. His activism and music went hand-in-glove. You can’t separate the two.”
The conflict started when Seun Kuti rejected comparisons between Wizkid and his father, saying words like, Wizkid is “bigger” or “more influential” diminish Fela’s legacy.
He argued that Fela’s impact as a political and cultural activist goes beyond music success alone.
Seun has also criticized Wizkid’s fans for repeatedly referencing Fela in online debates, describing their behaviour as disrespectful.
Seun further pointed out that equating modern commercial success with Fela’s historical influence shows a misunderstanding of history.
While acknowledging Wizkid’s achievements as an artiste, Seun questioned why people feel the need to claim he is greater than Fela.
He also raised concerns about Wizkid’s use of the nickname “Big Bird,” claiming it was previously associated with him and should not be copied.
In response, Wizkid took to Instagram to assert his position, saying that he rejects the comparisons to Fela and considers himself bigger in terms of modern success.
