OMG: Olamide Thinks He is Fela Kuti But His Wrong, and Here’s Why

Like he boastfully said, he needs not 'hustle for that shit' by paying for international collaborations just for the sake of them, because he is doing just fine.

Olamide‘s career has been phenomenal. He has defied the odds stacked against him as a kid with aspirations growing up in the mean streets of Bariga to an elite rapper in the music industry.

However, just like in every career, aspirations don’t end, as almost every individual desire to reach heights that are considered greatest.Thenetng wrote about what might be required of Olamide and his protege, Lil Kesh to take their music to the next level on the international front.
And in a bid to address the need for international collaborations, the rapper told Hip TV in a new interview that he isn’t desperate to work with any international act.
‘Fela didn’t even do any international collaboration before they recognised Fela in the international market. It’s not about hustling for that shit, I won’t hustle for that shit. Everywhere I’ve been to right now, is based on grace of God — I just wanna hustle for my stuff, live my dream — we are not bothered‘, he said.

‘To hustle for anyone to be on my track, that’s a no, no. I’m on my Fela P right now. Fela didn’t hustle for anybody to be on his track, he lived his life. He made his music, and when he died, they started copying his style.’
Well said Olamide, but the comparison of his career to that of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti is unfounded because, though few, Fela actually had international collaborations.
Fela worked with Roy Ayers, a soul jazz and funk musician from Los Angeles, United States on the latter’s 1980 album, Music of Many Colors.

Fela was also prominently featured on British drummer, Ginger Baker‘s album, Stratavarious in 1972, while the Afrobeat pioneer appeared in a major Amnesty International concert with Carlos Santana in 1986. American Jazz trumpeter, Lester Bowie was also a collaborator on Fela’s 1977 No Agreement album.

Truthfully, the impact of the few collaborations on Abami-Eda’s career are negligible, as his legendary status would still be intact without them, but they were still significant moments in Fela’s career.While it’s not to say that Olamide’s chance at achieving international acclaim is solely dependent on how many foreign acts he can lock himself in the recording booth with, having an international appeal with his music is a win-win.
Imagine an OLIC with some of the biggest international names as guest acts?
Though like he boastfully said, he needs not ‘hustle for that shit’ by paying for international collaborations just for the sake of them, because he is doing just fine.