Pelumi King
A couple of weeks ago, Twitter was taken by storm when somebody openly declared that Wizkid was better than Fela. He claimed that Fela was lacking in lyrics that is compared to Wizkid. He also claimed that Wizkid has achieved what Fela has achieved even more.
This sparked a storm on Twitter, making several people and known influencers blast him. He also garnered some support from some people who were majorly Wizkid fans. It was a tussle on Twitter, an argument that went back and forth with some people even trading personal insults at each other. His posts have sparked up a new debate; Is Wizkid really better than Fela?
Wizkid is and has always been an exemplary musician. His style of music and his sound have made people fall in love with his music. He has garnered so many fans loyal one at that with the way he sings. Wizkid has always focused on Afrobeat. He is seen as one of the major promoters of Afrobeats. Although he has been releasing constant hits in Nigeria, his song “Ojuelegba” announced him to the world. After the release of the song, he has gone to feature with great international artistes; Drake, Skepta, Beyonce etc. His song “One dance” that he wrote and produced for Drake topped the billboard for weeks. It also broke some records. His second feature with Drake, Come closer was also a huge success
Wizkid albums particularly after the release of Ojuelegba have been widely received by the local and international community. Made in Lagos, his most recent album, became the first purely African album in the top 100 of the billboard charts. Wizkid also has many other achievements and awards to his name.
Fela on the other hand was the one who introduced African music to the world. He introduced the traditional Afrobeats to the world. He also set the tone and built the foundation for other young artistes to follow. Many artistes including famous ones ie Burnaboy, Wizkid samples his sounds.
Unlike Wizkid, Fela music was revolutionary. He did not just sing to entertain; he sang as a form of activism. Facing threats from the Nigerian government, he refused to back down. He continued to release songs that exposed the irregularities and corrupt activities of the Nigerian government. This led to him arrested a few times.
His sound was very unique, distinct and beautiful. The uniqueness in his sound made his music acceptable in most parts of the world. This led to him performing in sold out concerts round the world. At his prime, he was seen as the major promoter of African music. Even after his death, his impact is still very much felt in the African music industry. Many artistes try to emulate his sound in order tom gain some acceptance in the music industry. His influence is still very much felt in the African music industry.
Now to answer the question, first off, Wizkid and Fela sings about two different things and concept. They might be under the same Afrobeat genre category, they sing about completely different things.
Another thing is Wizkid has sometimes openly admitted Fela’s influence on his music. His multi hit song Ojuelegba had some similarities to Fela’s sound. Some of his music also has similarities to Fela’s.
While it’s true that Wizkid has sold some stadiums that Fela has sold out maybe won the same awards and accolades Fela has. The reality is that as of Wizkid is not better than Fela. Fela is a legend, an African legend.
His music went beyond the standard. His music always communicated a message, gave people hope. His music was just not music but was hope and a shining light especially in Nigeria. That’s why his music has not faded out. That’s why his influence is still very much felt in the Africa even years after his death.
Wizkid is a great artist, an exceptional artiste at that but saying he is a better artist than Fela is simply a step too far.
