Media personality Ifedayo Olarinde, better known as Daddy Freeze, has weighed into the ongoing debate surrounding comparisons between global Afrobeats star Wizkid and late Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, asserting that such parallels are invalid unless Wizkid demonstrates the same level of activism and sacrifice.
In a widely circulated video broadcast, Daddy Freeze emphasized that Fela's legacy cannot be reduced to music alone. He described the legendary artist as a multifaceted figure a musician, staunch activist, philanthropist, and freedom fighter whose work was inseparable from his fight against oppression.
“Until Wizkid is ready to stand up and stone government, he shouldn’t compare himself to Fela,” Daddy Freeze stated. “Did you know that Fela was released from prison just to prevent him from dying there? They released him to go and die at his home because they knew his death would spark an uproar if he died in the prison. That was 1995, I was a fresher in the university then.”
He continued: “Fela was not a troublemaker; he was a freedom fighter. We are talking about music, but I cannot talk about Fela if I don’t talk about everything he stood for. His activism and music went hand-in-glove. You can’t separate the two.”
Daddy Freeze's comments come amid escalating tensions in the Nigerian music scene, particularly following Wizkid's direct response to Seun Kuti Fela's son in which the “Essence” singer declared, “I am bigger than your father,” while dismissing comparisons and criticisms from the Kuti family. Seun has repeatedly argued that sampling Fela or drawing inspiration does not equate to matching his father's impact, and fan debates have fueled claims that modern Afrobeats stars like Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy already stand on the same level as Fela.
The media personality's take aligns with voices defending Fela's unparalleled socio-political influence, suggesting that commercial success and global stardom in today's music industry do not automatically confer the same revolutionary status. He urged restraint in equating contemporary achievements with Fela's era-defining role in challenging authority through art.
The discussion has divided opinions online, with some fans supporting Wizkid's confidence in his accomplishments, while others echo Daddy Freeze in preserving Fela's legacy as distinct and untouchable. As the conversation continues, it highlights generational differences in how African music icons are measured by streams and awards versus activism and societal change.
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