Upholding a legacy as grand as that which follows the name “Anikulapo Kuti” (Anikulapo meaning: “one who carries death in his pocket”) can prove a daunting affair. However, it is one that Seun Kuti has never relented in pushing forward as the youngest son of the African music maverick and afrobeat pioneer, Fela Kuti.
Seun has just released his new album, Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)—his first collection of new material since 2018’s Grammy-nominated Black Times—and it sees him return with Egypt 80, his father’s former band, as rebellious and engulfed in displeasure as ever.
Heavier Yet…, the fruit of Seun’s collaborative effort with executive producer Lenny Kravitz, is a glossy amalgamation of diasporic sounds, from funky reggae-rap to smooth soul grooves. But beneath the surface is a call-to-action towards revolution—a stance that is almost synonymous with the family name, with Seun adopting his father’s radical, no-holds-barred lyricism.
Heavier Yet… opens with “T.O.P”, a soulful number lined with flavourful guitar riffs as Seun decries the notion of materialism. Its title nods to Fela’s disbarred political party, Movement of the People (MOP), which Seun recently revived.
“Dey”, meanwhile, makes a case for togetherness—alongside Damian Marley, who spices the uptempo track with Jamaican-style raps. The polyrhythmic “Emi Aluta” employs heart-pounding percussion, snarling horns and heavy baselines as Seun and Zambian-born rapper Sampa The Great take turns giving praise to African revolutionaries, while “Move” is… well, sure to make you move.
Take in the album in full below.
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