DX: Your father also had a practice of performing unrecorded music. What is the repertoire you are playing at your live shows today?
SK: It’s 90% my compositions, 10% my dads. Because whenever I play my dad’s songs, it’s a sign of respect. So I play some of my dad’s music, but it’s mostly my songs from the album.

DX: How do you differentiate your own music from your father’s?
SK: I’m not trying to differentiate, that is not my goal. That is not what I’m striving for. I’m not trying to sound like my dad or better, because my dad was a big composer. I’m not trying to steal his compositions. I don’t try to differentiate, there’s no what I’m looking for. You don’t get anything from doing that.

DX: Your brother Femi was known for distancing himself musically from your father.
SK: That’s my brother; we are different. The thing about my dad is he raised us all as individuals. I don’t judge him for his own belief; he doesn’t judge me for my own belief.

DX: Is there a rivalry there with your brother?
SK: No, not at all. He’s my brother.

DX: I remember hearing on your first American tour, it was Barack Obama who got you visas, is that true?
SK: Yeah, the next President of the United States.

DX: Can you tell the story behind that?
SK: Well it’s an incredible story, it just was meant to be because we were going to play in Chicago and we were told that [we would not be let in to the country] a few hours before we were going to land. We knew somebody that knew somebody that knew somebody that knew Barack, and Barack being humble, he understood and related to the struggle and said, “I know some people that know some people at the American Embassy.” It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. [Laughs]

DX: Listening to the album, it does remind me a lot of your father. What do you think about the music on the album?
SK: Well the album is made up of original compositions but as I said, with my dad’s music, I want to hold on to as much of that original quality. That is my goal, that is my intention. Everybody is an individual, really, so my music has no family. But the music should be, "Okay, this guy is an Afrobeat artist," because I personally feel like all other genres, put some Funk in your Afrobeat, put some Soul in your Afrobeat no, Funk, Soul, Hip Hop all of this, put some Afrobeat in your music, bring Afrobeat to the future.

DX: Did your father know about your intention to carry on his legacy, or is that something that came to you after his passing?
SK: I don’t think so because I didn’t plan it either it was spur of the moment I did it right there, I made the decision. I’ve always been playing with the band, since I was eight.

DX: Do you think that the Afrobeat style is going to have a legacy in the future?
SK: My dad was definitely ahead of his time, I feel Afrobeat just started now. When my dad was alive he was the only Afrobeat band out there. Now there are thousands of Afrobeat bands out there. I think musically, it just started to grow, I think Afrobeat is here to stay.

DX: You were quoted as saying every artist wants to define themselves, now that you’re coming out with an album how do you hope to be defined by people?
SK: I don’t want to be defined, as I said every artist wants to define himself. I am answerable only to me I’m a perfectionist with whatever I choose to follow. I define myself musically- I’m an Afrobeat artist, I’m Fela’s son. I want to also be known as Seun Kuti, a good Afrobeat artist, not just Seun Kuti, Fela’s son.