American Entertainers Who Have Sampled Fela’s Music

Fela Anikulapo Kuti is Nigeria’s biggest musical exports, the Afro beats pioneer is so great that a few A list American musicians sampled his sound

Femi Kuti, Fela’s first child gushed about his father in an interview saying;

READ ALSO: Nigerian Icons- the story of Fela

Fela stood alone and when he was talking then, many people, even his family, opposed him. When he said change your name from Ransome to Anikulapo, because he felt it was a colonial and slave name, they could not understand where Fela was coming from. His family rejected it; his brothers carried the name till their death.

For Fela, it was about being yourself, loving one’s culture. But his family didn’t understand this. How long is it going to take us to understand that, for us, (bearing) ‘Chinyere’ for us is better than ‘Mary’, why should I want to be John instead of Lakunle? Why should I wear a coat and tie in this hot sun? Why can’t we love our own attire?

On how he felt seeing his father on Broadway, Femi stated that;

I cried, I was so impressed, I cried. That is my shortest answer (General laughter).

Someone asked me yesterday what legacy I wanted to leave and all my answers were so long that I even bored him. I said I don’t care. Why should I? I will die someday. So if you like, remember me.

“I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” – Buckshot Lefonque

The artiste sampled Fela’s “Beast of No Nations.”

“Feel Good Inc.”- Amerigo Gazaway ft. Gorillaz

American producer and DJ, America Gazaway released Fela Soul, it was a project centered on mixing afrobeat rhythms with classic hip-hop and funk, in 2011. Fela’s “Trouble Sleeps Yanga Wake Am,” was sampled.

“Watcha Gonna Do” – Missy Elliott ft. Timbaland

Multi-award winning rapper/songwriter Missy Elliott is known for her true love for Fela and always being on that Fela wave, long before she decided on posting some shoki videos on Instagram. The rapper on her 2001 record titled “Whatcha Gonna Do,” paid homage to Nigerians and Fela by sampling the late legend’s “Sorrow Tears and Blood.”

“Pops Rap III…All My Children” – Common

American rapper Common in the year 2000, released the, “Pops Rap III…All My Children” record which featured his father, Lonnie “Pops” Lynn. The record started out sampling ace singer Erykah Badu’s “Next Lifetime.” However, 30 seconds just left on the track, Common paid tribute to Fela by sampling Fela Kuti’s “Water No Get Enemy” hook.

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