Yeni Kuti, daughter of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti, has weighed in on the ongoing dispute between singer Wizkid and her brother, Seun Kuti, calling for peace and unity as tensions rise.
In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter) by TVC Entertainment on Thursday, Yeni said she has deliberately stayed out of the exchanges because of her close bond with Wizkid.
“I love Wizkid a lot. Wizkid is my padi. When two giants fight, it is the grass that suffers,” she said.
She explained that her longstanding friendship with Wizkid made it difficult to take sides or engage in the insults circulating online. “I refuse to enter some of the insults they are hurling because I love Wizkid a lot. He is my small friend. We have come a long way together,” she added.
Reflecting on Wizkid’s early career, Yeni recalled knowing him before his rise to stardom. “I remember when he started at the Shrine. He was a backup singer at the Shrine during the liberation,” she said, noting that this history prevents her from holding any ill feelings toward him. “There is no way I can ever not like Wizkid. I like him,” she affirmed.
Addressing the feud, Yeni expressed regret that it wasn’t resolved earlier. “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,” she said.
Yeni also highlighted the broader implications of the dispute, especially with the family preparing to celebrate Fela’s legacy at the Grammys. “We are just about to go and celebrate our icon at the Grammy and you are all doing this as if you are trying to dirty something. It is not Fela or the Fela family you are trying to dirty. It is Nigeria,” she remarked.
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Drawing parallels with global music legends, she added, “You don’t see Bob Marley people doing that. Whichever way you look at it, he started a genre of music. He is an icon. If you have a problem, why are you attacking him? He has done his own. He has gone.”
Yeni praised her father’s lasting influence, noting, “Fela has been dead for 27 years, and people are still mentioning his name. That is the answer to his greatness.”
She concluded by urging restraint and respect, advising critics to focus on current issues instead of targeting those who have already made a mark.
Prompt News reports the feud began earlier this week after Wizkid commented on an online clash between his fanbase, Wizkid FC, and Seun Kuti. The disagreement erupted when Seun accused Wizkid’s supporters of disrespecting Fela’s legacy by comparing the late Afrobeat legend to the Grammy-winning singer.
