Veteran fuji musician, Shina Akanni, popularly known as Scorpido, has addressed concerns regarding the ongoing rivalries among fuji artistes, insisting that such conflicts contribute to the genre’s dynamism rather than threatening its future.
In an interview with Saturday Beats, Akanni shared his thoughts on the matter, stating, “Fights have happened before. If they didn’t, fuji wouldn’t exist. These conflicts are already coming to an end.” He explained that rivalries and disagreements are natural, occurring in every field, even in everyday life. “Even in the marketplace, fights happen. No matter how much wisdom one applies, conflicts will still happen. These things also fuel competition, which is what makes the craft interesting.”
Akanni, who has built a solid career in fuji music, acknowledged that tensions between older and younger generations of artistes are part of the evolving music scene. He cautioned older artistes to understand that many younger musicians prefer to chart their own paths rather than take advice from their predecessors. “You can’t give advice to many of today’s artistes,” he explained. “Most of them end up doing what they had in mind anyway. If I’m confused, I can ask for advice, but today’s artistes won’t do that. There are things Barrister (the late fuji pioneer) told me that I still follow. Unfortunately, many young artistes dismiss the ‘old school’ ways that continue to have relevance today.”
He also emphasized the importance of discipline and practice, saying that many young fuji artistes release albums without investing enough time into rehearsing. Akanni is currently preparing for his upcoming album, reflecting on the success of his previous project, Anybody Can Dance (ABCD), which received positive feedback from fans and is performing well on streaming platforms.
In closing, Akanni rejected the stereotype that fuji music is unserious. “Fuji is not a joke,” he asserted. “It’s a job that takes you to different countries. That’s why I take it seriously and am very time conscious.”
