Questlove is no stranger to Fela Kuti. He's written passionately about the afrobeat legend, covered & sampledseveral of his songs and given detailed insights on the Nigerian pioneer's message and the uncompromising political stance behind his music. For the latest installment in their artist playlist series, Fela.net tapped The Roots'icon to select his favorite Fela tracks, which include classics like "Fear Not For Man," "Beasts Of No Nation," "Everything Scatter," and the rarer cut "Just Like That."
“[Fela's music is] not microwave music, it’s souffle," Questlove mentions in his Finding Fela interview. "It’s a slow burn that just sizzles, and gets hotter... He clearly had the ear and the adoration of the people. To use this time & time again, and to get thrown in jail every time a single comes out. I mean, I have 16 records and can’t imagine that I might have to go to jail for every time my album comes out. Not many people are willing to suffer for their craft.”
Hear Questlove’s selections in a Spotify playlist below and check out other Fela Kuti playlists from Black Thought, Talib Kweli, Brian Eno, Rich Medina, and Ziggy Marley.