Davido has repeatedly said people criticize him because his father is a billionaire. But that’s not the issue. He is not the only billionaire’s son in Africa. He isn’t even the only son of his father. The criticism isn’t about inheritance. It’s about behavior.

When the Recording Academy posthumously handed Fela Anikulapo Kuti a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Grammy Awards making him the first African artist to receive this honour it wasn’t just a recognition of music. It was a global acknowledgement of a man whose voice shaped continents and whose art doubled as resistance.

The argument for Wizkid being “bigger” is not entirely wrong it’s just incomplete. In today’s world, visibility is currency. Numbers feel objective. Streams, awards, sold-out shows, social media reach, and international recognition have become the primary way we measure success.

Every few years, Africa finds a new way to ask the same question just dressed in trendier clothes. Today, it sounds like: “Is Wizkid bigger than Fela?” On the surface, it looks like a harmless music debate. Fanbases clash, timelines explode, insults fly, and everyone thinks they’re defending culture. But beneath the noise, this question exposes something deeper and more uncomfortable: our growing inability to distinguish between popularity and power, fame and impact, numbers