Fela Kuti – “Excuse-O” (Released 24th January 2024)

The deepest song here is the second track, “Mr Grammarticalogylisationalism Is The Boss,” which ridicules the notion that speaking “”proper”” English demonstrates superior intelligence, and bemoans the fact that doing so is, unfortunately, a requirement for upward mobility. As the chorus repeats the line “Him talk oyinbo pass English man” (“He talks English better than an Englishman”), Fela lays it down: “The better oyinbo you talk, the more bread you get, school start na grade four bread, B.A. na grade three bread, M.A. na grade two bread, Ph.D na grade one bread, the better oyinbo you talk, the more bread you get….Wey talk oyinbo well well to rule our land-o.” First re-issued as part of Fela Kuti Box Set #5 curated by Chris Martin and Femi Kuti in 2021.