Seun Kuti, the Grammy-nominated Afrobeat luminary, has voiced discontent with what he views as biased media portrayal that frequently favors fellow Nigerian artist Burna Boy.
Kuti contends that his own accomplishments in the music industry are frequently eclipsed or incorrectly attributed.
In a recent interview with The Public Republic, Kuti highlighted several instances where he believes his contributions were overlooked or incorrectly credited to others.
One of the points of contention was Burna Boy being widely touted as the first Nigerian artist to perform at Coachella in 2020.
Seun clarified that he had actually performed at the renowned music festival back in 2012, underscoring a pattern of misrepresentation in media narratives.
Kuti highlighted the disparity in Grammy nomination recognition between himself and his brother, Femi Kuti, and Burna Boy.
While Burna Boy achieved acclaim with his album “African Giant,” earning a Grammy nomination for Best World Music Album, Kuti lamented that his own album “Black Times” had received a Grammy nod years earlier but did not receive similar acknowledgment from African award organizers.
“I’ve been nominated at the Grammys multiple times. My brother has as well. Yet, when it comes to media coverage, they conveniently omit my name from the narrative,” Kuti stated, expressing disappointment with how his achievements are portrayed compared to those of his peers.
Adding to his grievances, Kuti highlighted his recent Grammy nomination for his contributions to Janelle Monae’s album “Age of Pleasure,” which was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2024 Grammys. Despite this prestigious recognition, Kuti noted that the Nigerian media did not include him among the Nigerian artists celebrated for their nominations, further underscoring what he perceives as systemic bias.
“They treat me like I’m from Togo,” Kuti remarked, emphasizing the frustration of being marginalized in media discussions despite his significant contributions to music both locally and globally.