Fela to Wizkid: The evolution of a billion-dollar music empire

A recent online debate between fans of Wizkid and supporters of Fela Kuti has highlighted questions about career success in Nigerian music. Wizkid’s followers point to his rapid rise over 15 years and counting, while Fela’s advocates emphasise his 37-year influence from the 1960s until he died in 1997 alongside his enduring legacy.

The late Fela Anikulapo Kuti established the cultural and musical foundation of Afrobeat, creating a genre that addressed social issues and built a lasting ecosystem. Wizkid, in turn, transformed that foundation into a global commercial brand through digital platforms, strategic partnerships, and high-value touring. This progression shows how one pioneer’s work enabled another’s empire, contributing to an Afrobeats industry now worth hundreds of millions annually.

Fela Kuti invented Afrobeat in the 1970s by blending highlife, jazz, and funk with Yoruba rhythms and political commentary. His music critiqued corruption and colonialism, as heard in tracks like ‘Zombie’, which targeted Nigeria’s military regime. Despite facing over 200 arrests and the destruction of his Kalakuta Republic compound, Fela released 52 albums (a world record till date), fostering a local music scene that employed musicians, dancers, and inspired generations.

Today, 29 years after his death, Fela’s estate continues to generate revenue. Fela Kuti’s music remains highly lucrative and active, with significant, ongoing, and often sold-out reissue campaigns. Among those are Box Set #6, curated by Idris Elba in 2024, which was released as part of the ongoing high-end reissue series by Knitting Factory Records and Partisan Records.

The estate has continued to release “Best of the Black President” on vinyl and other 50th-anniversary reissues, such as Shakara. The Fela Kuti estate signed with WME Legends in October 2023 for global management, focusing on expanding the estate’s revenue through licensing, merchandising, and the “Fela!” stage musical. Fela Kuti was honored by the Recording Academy with a 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award, which will further increase interest in his catalog. This income supports his family and sustains his legacy through ongoing projects.

Fela’s influence extends beyond recordings into cultural institutions that drive economic activity. The Kalakuta Shrine, once his home and performance space, evolved into the New Afrika Shrine, a venue for concerts and debates. It inspired Felabration, an annual festival started in 1998 by his daughter Yeni Kuti. Felabration attracts thousands, filling hotels and boosting local businesses in Lagos. Organizers note that inflation and costs challenge profits, but the event generates millions in tourism revenue each year, with visitors from Nigeria and abroad contributing to the economy.

Internationally, exhibitions like “Afrobeat Rebellion” have amplified Fela’s reach. First shown at the Philharmonie de Paris from 2022 to 2023, it featured over 350 items, including memorabilia and immersive installations. The exhibition moved to Lagos in October 2025 at the Ecobank Pan African Centre, running until December 28, 2025, with performances and workshops.

Fela’s story also found commercial success on stage. The Broadway musical “Fela!” premiered in 2008, directed by Bill T. Jones, and ran for 491 performances, grossing $33.5 million on Broadway alone. Including tours and revivals, such as sold-out runs in London and Lagos, the production has earned over $50 million worldwide since its debut. These ventures not only preserve Fela’s activism but also create jobs in theater and licensing, adding to an Afrobeat ecosystem valued at $500 million today.

Samples of his work appear in international songs by artists like Nas, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, Pete Rock, Missy Elliott, and Australian future-soul band Hiatus Kaiyote, providing passive income for his estate and linking past to present.

Wizkid built on this foundation by adapting Afrobeats to the digital era. Starting in the early 2010s, he gained international fame with hits like Holla at Your Boy’, Dont Dull’, ‘Ojuelegba’, and recent hits like ‘Essence’, which have boosted U.S. streams of the genre by 500 percent since 2019.

His net worth is estimated to be around $50 million as of 2025, primarily derived from streaming, endorsements, and select performances. Albums like ‘Made in Lagos’ have billions of streams, generating about $1 million monthly from Spotify alone. Digital consumption has been key, with the album surpassing 100 million streams across platforms in its first nine days. Wizkid also recently became the first African artist in Spotify history to surpass 10 billion streams across all credits.

Tours and live shows form a major revenue stream for Wizkid. His “Made in Lagos” tour from 2021-2022 grossed millions of dollars, according to reports, including $2.9 million from three sold-out shows at London’s O2 Arena. In 2025, despite not embarking on a full tour, Wizkid reportedly earned $17.1 million, nearly matching Burna Boy’s $17.5 million from extensive touring.

He focused on high-paying festivals and one-off events, such as a $4.2 million performance in Algeria, minimizing costs while maximizing returns. Endorsements add to his wealth, with deals from Pepsi (worth $350,000 initially, renewed for years), Nike, Puma, and Ciroc contributing $10-20 million annually.

These partnerships, alongside merchandise and collaborations, have turned Wizkid into a multinational brand.

The connection between Fela and Wizkid illustrates music business evolution. Wizkid has sampled Fela in multiple songs, including ‘Zombie Freestyle’, ‘Wonder’, ‘The Matter’, ‘Sweet Love’, ‘Expensive Shit’, and ‘Jaiye Jaiye’.

Fela created Afrobeat as a tool for activism, building a cultural base that supported Nigeria’s creative economy, now contributing $1.4 billion to GDP in 2023, with music alone at $600 million annually. Wizkid monetized it by leveraging streaming, which accounts for much of the genre’s 24.7 percent revenue growth in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, and strategic moves that prioritize efficiency over volume.