Veteran Nigerian musician Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Face (or 2Baba), has weighed in on the heated debate surrounding comparisons between Afrobeats superstar Wizkid and late Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, calling such parallels “ridiculous” and disrespectful.
The controversy erupted after Wizkid declared himself “bigger” than Fela in response to criticisms from Seun Kuti, who had taken issue with fans and commentators likening the “Ojuelegba” hitmaker to the Afrobeat legend.
In a snippet from an upcoming episode of the Mic On podcast, 2Face strongly rejected the idea of equating the two icons, arguing that it disregards their vastly different eras, musical impacts, and contributions to Nigerian and global music.
“Comparing Fela with Wizkid is ridiculous. Apart from the fact that it is disrespectful to Fela, and at the same time, it is also unfair to Wizkid,” 2Face stated.
He emphasized that Fela’s revolutionary role in pioneering Afrobeat, his socio-political activism, and his enduring cultural influence place him in a category that cannot be directly measured against contemporary pop and Afrobeats artists like Wizkid, whose achievements lie in commercial success, international reach, and modern genre evolution.
The comments from 2Face, a respected figure in Nigerian music known for hits like “African Queen,” add significant weight to the ongoing discourse, which has divided fans, industry stakeholders, and cultural commentators since Wizkid’s initial remarks sparked widespread outrage.
The debate shows broader questions about legacy, generational shifts in Nigerian music, and how to appropriately honour foundational icons like Fela while celebrating today’s global Afrobeats stars.
