Grammy-nominated Afrobeat singer Seun Kuti has claimed he has been blacklisted in the Nigerian music industry for about 13 years because of his style of music. Kuti said his commitment to conscious music, which challenges bad governance, has led to restrictions on his career at home.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Saleh Meditate podcast, Kuti explained that the impact of his late father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, and his contemporaries who used music as a form of protest scared the government. He alleged that authorities then invested more in artists who avoid political themes while targeting musicians who sing about social realities. According to him, that interference has significantly affected the quality and impact of modern Nigerian music.
Kuti recalled that he was effectively cancelled after performing conscious music at former Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s event 13 years ago. “Even before then, my music was heavily restricted,” he said. “I have been cancelled for long. People think I am not cancelled because I am doing well. Nigeria has cancelled me a long time ago, but Nigeria is just a really small percentage of my market. So, being cancelled doesn’t really affect me.”
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The singer stressed that he still speaks freely whenever he is in Nigeria and is not afraid to say what he wants. He added that artists who fear being blacklisted are mostly those whose fanbase is concentrated in Nigeria. For him, the bulk of his audience is international, which cushions the impact of local restrictions.
Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, has continued to tour globally and release politically charged music despite the challenges he described.
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