Jay-Z is coming to Tottenham and will be performing just 15 minutes from our Nigerian tapas restaurant. Whilst he might not have time to stop for our Egusi Bowl and Pounded Yam, before Hov takes to the stage at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this September, there’s a Nigerian connection worth knowing about.
From an unofficial mixtape that put Jay-Z’s American Gangster over Fela Kuti samples, to a few very casual Fela name-checks in his own music, the connection between Jay-Z and Nigeria’s very own musical G.O.A.T., Fela Kuti, runs deeper than you might expect.
And with Jay-Z heading to Tottenham on 4th and 5th September as part of his 30th anniversary celebrations, it felt like the perfect time to tuck into some of our favourite Jay-Z and Fela Kuti connections.
1. American Gangster meets the Afrobeat pioneer
In 2008, hip-hop was shook by a mixtape – an unofficial release that made waves online. The 15-track underground hit, Nigerian Gangster by Mike MFN Love, merged world-famous lyricist Jay-Z with the sounds of Afrobeat, the genre pioneered by Nigeria’s legendary activist and performer Fela Kuti in the 1960s and 70s.
The mixtape took Jay’s voice from his 2007 album American Gangster and threw it over iconic samples from Fela’s discography. The result was a horn-filled fire of percussion, originally composed against the backdrop of Nigeria’s political landscape, colliding with Hov’s cinematic stories about the dark side of chasing the ‘American Dream’.
Notable tracks include a remix of ‘Roc Boys (And the Winner Is),’ reimagined with Fela’s ‘Water No Get Enemy’ instrumental, and ‘Pray,’ reworked with a sample from Fela’s 1976 track ‘Upside Down’.
And according to reports, it was this unlikely collision of Jay-Z and Fela that sparked Jay’s interest in Fela and Afrobeat.
Listen to Mike MFN Love’s ‘Roc Boys’ below, or join us in-restaurant on 4th and 5th September, when we’ll be listening to the entire mixtape alongside Fela’s iconic discography.
2. Jay-Z gets involved with Fela!
It was reported that after listening to Mike Love’s mixtape, Hov was moved by Fela’s music - enough to catch an early version of Bill T. Jones’ play Fela! On Stage and Off. Shortly afterwards, Jay-Z joined the team as a co-producer, backing a production that brought Fela’s story, music and legacy to a whole new audience.
The play received critical acclaim, three Tony Awards and high praise from Fela’s family. But its journey didn’t stop on Broadway.
Fela’s son Femi was adamant the show should come to Lagos and facilitated a performance at the New Afrika Shrine — the legendary venue and spiritual successor to Fela’s original Shrine.
Bringing the production back to Lagos, and to a stage so closely connected to Fela’s legacy, felt like a full-circle moment.
Jay was also a very public supporter of the production, bringing Beyoncé and fellow stars including Rihanna and Alicia Keys to see the show. He spoke about being “inspired by the power of Kuti's music and life story”.
3. Jay-Z put Fela’s “Zombie” in the mix
In 2016, Jay-Z released a curated playlist on Tidal titled Songs for Survival. The playlist brought together music about resistance, injustice and survival, including tracks by Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar, alongside Fela Kuti’s “Zombie”.
Released in 1976, “Zombie” is one of Fela’s most powerful protest songs. He used the word to describe Nigerian soldiers who followed military orders without question, taking aim at the military regime and the machinery of oppression around him.
The song came at a time when Fela was increasingly confronting the Nigerian state through his music. In 1977, following the release of “Zombie”, the Kalakuta Republic - Fela’s home, recording studio and communal compound - was attacked and burned by soldiers.
So when Hov put “Zombie” into a playlist alongside some of the defining protest songs of American music, it was more than a great Fela track making the cut. It seems to reflect how a song rooted in 1970s Nigeria could still feel relevant to Jay-Z decades later, sitting comfortably alongside music speaking to resistance and survival in his own world.
50 years on, “Zombie” is still one of Fela’s most celebrated tracks. Whether you’re discovering it for the first time or want to hear even more, on 4th and 5th September, we’ll be setting the vibes in-restaurant with our Naija Carter playlist, featuring even more Fela hits loved by Jay-Z.
4. Hov put Fela in a film
For Netflix’s historic Black Western, The Harder They Fall, Jay-Z ensured Fela’s “Let’s Start” was featured on the soundtrack.
Better still, the song plays at the height of the movie, where the Rufus Buck and Nat Love gangs finally square off.
As co-producer of the film, Hov helped bring this lesser-known Fela song to a global audience — a collaboration between the icon and Africa 70, where Fela is heard singing to a special someone: “O l’oun t’awa se ni iy’ara, je ka bere” (“let’s start what we have come into the room to do”).
The lyrics are repositioned at this pivotal part of the film, highlighting the tension and inevitable climax between the two sides. A gem wielded with diamond precision timing.
Telling The Hollywood Reporter about his song choices for the film, Hov said: “Great films have melody to them. And great songs, you can close your eyes and see them.”
5. Fela Is part of the Carter soundtrack
Now, we don’t know who discovered Fela first in the Carter-Knowles household. But like Jay, Bey seems to be a big fan of Fela Kuti too.
At her iconic 2018 Coachella performance, Beyoncé included a massive, horn-filled rendition of “Zombie”, which transitioned into her track “Deja Vu”. And the year before Beychella, the couple hosted a Carter Push Party where Fela’s music was reportedly part of the soundtrack, with Jay and Bey dancing along to Fela’s sound.
And just like The Visuals we may never get, there’s a rumoured 20-track Afrobeat album that was shelved in 2011. According to her longtime collaborator The-Dream, the album was created to “capture Fela’s heavy, groove-led instrumentation”, but so far hasn’t seen the light of day. Just a taste of that Fela influence remains in the horn-heavy hit “End of Time”, from Queen Bey’s 4 album.
You also don't need to go digging through Jay-Z's playlists or production credits to find Fela. He's actually name-checked Fela in his own music.
On “Blue's Freestyle/We Family”, from the deluxe edition of 4:44, Jay-Z references listening to Fela while travelling.
And he does it again on Beyoncé's “MOOD 4 EVA”, where he raps about “Bumping Fela on the Puma jet” and references Lagos in the same verse.
So when Hov comes to Tottenham this September, we thought we'd give Fela a little more airtime too.
On 4th and 5th September, we’ll be helping you warm up for the concert with a listen to Mike MFN Love’s Nigerian Gangster mixtape, followed by our own Fela x Jay-Z playlist.
Whether you’re heading to the show or looking for a feast big on flavour and vibes, book your table and come chop, chat, chill.
