Femi Kuti (born Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti on June 16, 1962) is a Nigerian saxophonist, singer, composer, bandleader, and activist. Born in London and raised in Lagos, he is the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Although his music is rooted in his father's politically charged style, Femi has developed a distinct approach that incorporates funk, jazz, soul, hip-hop, electronic music, and elements of contemporary African pop.
Kuti began playing saxophone as a teenager and joined Fela's band, Egypt 80. His first major opportunity as a frontman came in 1984, when Fela was detained shortly before a US tour. Femi led the band in his father's absence, including a performance by a large Egypt 80 ensemble at the Hollywood Bowl. The experience established him as a performer in his own right and helped prepare the way for an independent career.
In 1986, Femi formed Positive Force, a band that became the foundation of his musical identity. Compared with the extended, improvisatory structures of classic Afrobeat, Positive Force often employed tighter arrangements, faster tempos, more concise solos, and newer studio textures such as synthesizers and programmed drums. Femi's lyrics remained firmly connected to the tradition of social criticism, addressing corruption, political repression, poverty, inequality, and the pressures facing ordinary Nigerians.
Positive Force's early recordings included *No Cause for Alarm?* in 1989 and *M.Y.O.B.* in 1991. After a period of estrangement from his father, Femi reconciled with him and released the album *Femi Kuti* through Motown's Tabu label in 1995. The label's closure interrupted the partnership, but Femi's international profile continued to grow. Following Fela's death in 1997, Femi became one of the leading figures responsible for carrying Afrobeat to a new generation.
His 1998 album *Shoki Shoki* is widely regarded as a career landmark. Its forceful horn arrangements, urgent rhythms, and direct political writing introduced his music to a broad international audience. The success of the album led to extensive touring and helped establish Femi as more than a successor to his father: he was an artist with his own sound, themes, and stage presence.
In 2000, Femi and his sister Yeni helped reopen Fela's former Lagos nightclub as The New Afrika Shrine. The venue became both a performance space and a cultural center, hosting Femi's regular concerts and the annual Felabration celebration of Fela's music and ideas. Femi later explored connections between Afrobeat and American hip-hop on *Fight to Win* (2001), which featured collaborations with Common, Mos Def, and Jaguar Wright.
Albums including *Day by Day* (2008), *Africa for Africa* (2011), and *No Place for My Dream* (2013) earned Grammy nominations and confirmed his international standing. He continued to combine expansive live-band arrangements with pointed commentary on Nigerian and global politics on *One People One World* (2018) and *Stop the Hate* (2021). The latter appeared alongside his son Made Kuti's debut album as the double release *Legacy +*, underlining the Kuti family's continuing musical lineage.
Femi has also appeared in film and video-game projects, collaborated with artists outside the Afrobeat tradition, and performed with musicians from jazz, rock, hip-hop, and electronic music. His later work, including the live collaboration *Variations* with Robert Hood and the 2025 album *Journey Through Life*, shows an artist still extending Afrobeat's vocabulary while reflecting on personal experience. Through Positive Force, The New Afrika Shrine, and his recordings, Femi Kuti remains one of the genre's most important modern interpreters.