Maverick singer Seun Kuti has cautioned Afrobeats artists against comparing themselves to his late father, Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

He criticized artists who claim to be the modern-day Fela merely because they sample his songs or draw inspiration from his style.

The Grammy-nominated singer clarified that while he has no objection to sampling Fela’s music, he opposes equating such efforts with the legacy of the legendary musician.

“Sampling Fela doesn’t make you Fela,” Kuti said during a recent episode of the Hits Don’t Lie podcast. “A few people have done good samples of his music. But people should stop saying they are my dad. That is crazy. It’s crazy when people call themselves the ‘New Fela.’ Where is the ‘Bob Marley’? Only in Nigeria do you hear stuff like this. People are wild.”

Several Afrobeats stars, including Wizkid and Burna Boy, have faced comparisons with Fela after incorporating his music into their works. Street-hop artists like Bella Shmurda and Portable have openly referred to themselves as the “New Fela.”

Rapper Olamide also sparked controversy late last year by calling Wizkid “the greatest Afrobeats artist after Fela.”