Afrobeat star Femi Kuti has opened up about the challenges of growing up as the son of music legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti, and how he carved out his own identity despite enormous pressure.

Speaking on the Afropolitan podcast, Femi recalled being constantly reminded of his father’s legacy:

“In school, at the bus stop, everywhere, people would say, ‘Are you not going to be like your father? Won’t you play music?’ The pressure was too much. You must be like your father.”

But he eventually came to a realization that set him free.

“If God wanted me to be Fela, I would have been Fela. I had to be Femi Kuti. I could never be Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, or my father. I had to find my own path.”

At one point, Femi lived with his father and even began to dress like him. But when he decided to branch out and form his own band, the backlash was swift.

“His fan base descended on me. They hated me. The press hated me. There was no internet then, so I couldn’t even defend myself.”

He credited his grandmother for jolting him back on track when he was drifting.

“She said, ‘What kind of lousy musician are you? You’ve been here for two weeks and you haven’t picked up your horn.’ I cried all night. But those words saved my life.”

Looking back, Femi said the struggle was essential for him to truly step out of his father’s shadow.

“I had to feel my pain. I had to strive for my own success. Being under my father’s roof, I couldn’t even see that dream.”