As conflict between Nigerian citizens and government forces reached a new tipping point in 2020, leading to the historic End SARS protests, Seun Kuti decided to resurrect the political party Movement Of The People, which was originally founded by Fela Kuti in 1979. The organisation now galvanises its members to bring governance back to the masses. Through his sounds of resistance and frontline activism such as this, the artist has relentlessly contributed to the canon of Pan-Africanist works dedicated to the socio-political emancipation of all African people. “Progress cannot unfold if we rely on neo-colonialist infrastructures,” he asserts. “True power is found when communities build on their own visions of justice and equality in education, resources and the enhancement of their livelihoods.”

From the age of 14 years old, Seun Anikulapo Kuti has been performing and composing music with the mighty Egypt 80 by his side, which he took control of following his father’s passing in 1997. Since then, they have distributed their frequencies of love and liberation on stages around the world and regularly return to their homebase in Lagos, the legendary New Afrika Shrine, where his elder brother Femi Kuti also regularly performs.

It’s this city he still calls home and the wellspring of his inspiration. Egypt 80’s indestructible rhythms come to life when Kuti is immersed in the hustle and chaos of Lagos. He’s reluctant to share any more of his creative procedure beyond “my process is my process” but does have more to say about Lagos’s nonsensical ‘go slow’ traffic system. “The government has tried, oppression has tried, everything has tried to move me from Africa but I think it's the traffic that is gonna do it. It’s always been crazy but there’s no word for what is going on now,” he adds, wryly.

The musical orator is hailed for spreading messages of unity across the diaspora while taking barefaced shots at shady government and politicians. His fourth album ‘Black Times’ honours the intrepid legacy of afrobeat while presenting new ways to converse with his listeners via tuneful call and response and empowering one-liners. Five years after its release, the essence of his words remain potent as Kuti is fixated on pushing the boundaries of his global reach. So much so that he recently he revisited the Grammy-nominated album with a number of remixes featuring The Roots frontman and revered MC, Black Thought. Kuti was already familiar with the band’s drummer, Questlove who was heavily involved in the ‘Finding Fela’ documentary by Alex Gibney. So, a connection between Black Thought and Kuti naturally began to take form in 2019.

They went on to test their musical chemistry on Common’s track ‘When We Move’, slowly introducing us to how their mix of afrobeat and hip hop can have a cross-generational impact on the consciousness of listeners. By merging these genres in a collaborative effort, Kuti intends to further eradicate deep-rooted ideas of exclusion and separation. The album’s original messaging remains intact but the conversation now travels further. He explains, “I was watching a video where some journalist guy with a mic was interviewing people and asking ‘Who’s more influential in the UK, Nigerians or Jamaicans?’ And I’m like, what’s this conversation? The conversation I want to have is about how Africans in the diaspora could be working together for the progress of all African people.”

Fela Kuti was a militant voice for the people and his legacy inspires his son to continue to compose music that “affirms our own validity as a group, as human beings and as a race.” For this latest collaboration, he lifted three tracks from the album and stripped down a few of their instrumental layers, courtesy of producer Alex Jennings, aka DJ Molotov. Traditional polyrhythms are replaced by a defined bassline and a boom-kat combination while Black Thought pens verses in celebration of the African identity. Dedicated to de-stigmatising marijuana and promoting its sacredness, the reworking of ‘Bad Man Lighter’ channels strains of funk, which carry on to ‘KuKu Kee Me’ with an overcast of vintage horns. His understated delivery pulls our attention towards his smooth vocals as he condemns those who are unwilling to fight for their freedom while reigniting our passion to do so.

The leading single ‘African Dreams’ acknowledges the sacrifices of the Pan-African revolutionists who have fought for liberation throughout history and questions where we would be if not for their courage. It opens with a speech from the activist Khalid Abdul Muhammad, stating: “The liberation and salvation of the black nation must be brought about by black people gaining a thorough knowledge of self.” Kuti remembers those whose shoulders he stands on, expressing that, “For us to be anything today as African people, a whole generation of Africans had to pay the blood price and I always want to honour that.”

Among the political figures he has studied are Franz Fanon, Patrice Lumumba, George Padmore, Steve Biko, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Che Guevara, Fidel Castro and Chairman Mao. For him, “They have always been an inspiration to my own development as an artist, a musician and to my own growth as a human being, which is even more important than my artistry.”

So, as Nigeria’s presidential elections have stirred up the country’s call for change, Kuti is determined for all to realise the title of revolutionist belongs to everyone and is not specific to an artist or a public figure; we all play an essential role in our collective stride towards unity. “We are basically still building ladders and I’m not really interested in breaking one person out of this prison of oppression we all live under. What we need is the total dismantling of the prison that holds the majority of us captive. That is the ultimate goal of the African struggle.” He also believes that part of the African dream is dedicated to reversing the environmental damage inflicted by multinational corporations, adding: “Africans were the original green people, we were the ones that believed most in being one with nature.”

While fans eagerly await new music, Kuti leaves me with one final piece of wisdom. And that’s a reminder that motivation stems from the idea that we are in control of our own destiny. He for one exercises his will to be free, channelling exuberant sounds that encourage others to follow suit. “I get in trouble every week, it’s how I exercise my spirit,” he says.