Seun Kuti & Egypt 80

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Image courtesy of Razzmatazz.

Seun Kuti is one of the most magnetic performers in contemporary African music: musician, singer, composer and Pan-African activist with a vibrant live show. The youngest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, he has dedicated his life to preserving (and expanding) a political and musical legacy that understands not nostalgia, but urgency. A saxophonist and percussionist in full swing, he joined the band Egypt 80 before the age of 12.

In 1997, after Fela's death and fulfilling his wishes, Seun took over the leadership of Egypt 80, a role he maintains to this day. His social commitment is inseparable from the stage: he has participated in campaigns such as #OccupyNigeria and #EndSARS, and has reactivated the Movement of the People (M.O.P.), the party founded by his father in 1979 and repressed shortly after by the military government.

His discography with Egypt 80 marks this evolution: Many Things (2008), From Africa with Fury: Rise (2011), co-produced by Brian Eno and John Reynolds, A Long Way Beginning (2014) and Black Times (2018), nominated for a Grammy and with Carlos Santana. In parallel, Seun has forged global alliances: African Dreams (2022) with Black Thought; collaborations on Janelle Monáe's The Age of Pleasure (2023) on “Float” and “Knows Better”; and crossovers with Talib Kweli and Madlib on Liberation 2, as well as a new version of “Bad Man Lighter” with Black Thought and Vic Mensa. He sums it up clearly: “The world has become a big commercial village [...] There are artists who do 'copy-paste' [...] But there are also young people everywhere making exciting music.”

His latest album is Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head) (2024), released by Record Kicks six years after Black Times. Executive produced by Lenny Kravitz and with artistic production by Sodi Marciszewer (Fela's original engineer), it features guests such as Damian Marley and Sampa The Great. His singles “DEY” (feat. Damian Marley, nominated for a Grammy for Best African Music Performance), “T.O.P.” and “Stand Well Well” reinforce a rootsy, sharp and contemporary Afrobeat. As Seun says: “The album was written for the consciousness of the working class […] Since big corporations have taken over music, many people have felt insecure or 'less than.' My album is the opposite of this materialism.” In 2025, the deluxe edition adds collaborations with De La Soul, Adi Oasis, Kamasi Washington, Don Letts, Alborosie and more.

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