Higher Ground's Fela Kuti: Fear No Man Now Available Across All Podcast Platforms

LOS ANGELES, CA – October 15, 2025 – Higher Ground, the media company founded by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, today released the first two episodes of Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, a new podcast series hosted by Jad Abumrad (Radiolab, Dolly Parton's America), now available across all podcast platforms and on Audible. The 12-episode series explores the extraordinary true story of Fela Kuti, the classically-trained Nigerian musician who created the Afrobeat music genre as a revolutionary language of resistance against oppression.

In a world that's on fire, what is the role of art? What can music actually do? Can a song save a life? Change a law? Topple a president? Get you killed? Fela Kuti: Fear No Mantells the story of one of the great political awakenings in music: how a classically trained "colonial boy" traveled to America, in search of Africa, only to return to Nigeria and transform his sound into a battering ram against the state—creating a new musical language of resistance called Afrobeat.

For years, the world's biggest stars made pilgrimages to Nigeria to experience Fela's Shrine, the epicenter of his musical revolution. But when the mix of art and activism got too hot, the state pulled out its guns, and literally opened fire. Fela Kuti: Fear No Mandelivers an uncategorizable mix of oral history, musicology, and cutting-edge sound design that takes listeners deep inside Fela's life, music, and legacy. Drawing from new interviews with Ayo Edebiri, David Byrne, Brian Eno, Santigold and more, plus previously recorded interviews with Burna Boy, Questlove, Paul McCartney, and former President Barack Obama, the series journeys deep into the soul of Afrobeat to explore the transformative power of art and the role artists can play in this current moment of global unrest.

The release coincides with Felabration, an annual festival held in Lagos, Nigeria that has evolved from a commemoration honoring Fela Kuti's birthday into a week-long musical extravaganza from October 13-19, attracting fans worldwide.

Presented by Audible and Higher Ground, Fela Kuti: Fear No Man is produced by Western Sound and Talkhouse. 

Fela Kuti: Fear No Man is available now on Audible and wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays: LISTEN

Additionally, to coincide with the release of Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, Partisan Records (home to Fela Kuti's extensive catalog), has announced its first-ever vinyl edition of The Best of the Black President, the 13-track definitive survey of Fela Kuti's epic body of work. Designed by founder of New York-based clothing and design brand Head of State, Taofeek Abijako, this 4x LP set is housed in a hardbound book jacket that doubles as a Ludo game board. The packaging includes a perforated sheet of game pieces, dice, and instructions on how to play Ludo. This edition, limited to 3000 units globally, features a brand new introduction written by "Fear No Man" host Jad Abumrad; re-imagined artwork from Fela's longtime collaborator Lemi Ghariokwu (known for creating 26 of Fela's iconic album covers); and four LPs pressed on red, green, blue, and yellow vinyl that feature classic tracks like "Zombie," "Water No Get Enemy," and "Lady". This collector's piece will be sold in stores on November 21, with pre-order available now: HERE

ABOUT HIGHER GROUND

Higher Ground was founded by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. From scripted and unscripted television, feature films, and animated series to podcasts and digital series, the company tells widely acclaimed stories across all platforms. Higher Ground Productions has a first look deal for film and television with Netflix and Higher Ground Audio has a first look podcast deal with Audible. For more information on Higher Ground projects, visit HigherGroundMedia.com.

ABOUT AUDIBLE

Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, offering global audiences a powerful way to enhance and enrich their lives through extraordinary content. Audible’s catalog includes more than 1,000,000 audio titles, including Audible Originals as well as audiobooks and podcasts from leading studios, print, audio and magazine publishers and world-renowned entertainers.

ABOUT WESTERN SOUND

Western Sound is the Peabody Award-winning podcast studio founded by journalist and podcaster Ben Adair. Established in 2018, Western Sound has created dozens of award-winning, hit shows—both its own, original #1 hits Lost Hills and Strangeland, as well as partnered shows for ESPN, The Los Angeles Times, Team Coco, and CNN. Western Sound’s most recent shows include two summer ‘25 Top 10 series Doctor’s Orders andThe Burden: Get the Money and Run. The most recent awards include a 2024 Peabody Award for Pulse: The Untold Story and a 2024 Peabody Award nomination for Ripple. Numerous Western Sound productions are currently in development as both TV and feature films.

ABOUT TALKHOUSE

Talkhouse is a Webby-Award-winning first-person media company, podcast network, and outlet for musicians, actors, filmmakers, and others in their respective fields. Talkhouse’s podcast series include Subway Takes, How Long Gone, Blank Check, Alison Roman’sSolicited Advice, Life of the Record, Craig Finn’s That’s How I Remember It, Santigold's Noble Champions, and Björk: Sonic Symbolism, which GQ praises as "a road map to the creative life," delivering what The New Yorker calls "a rare chance to listen in as one of the most mysterious and mystical artists working today explains herself. Björk’s Cornucopia represents Talkhouse’s first foray into producing TV/film. Other projects are currently in development and production.

For more information, please contact Matt Hanks, Greg Jakubik or Henry Thomas at Shore Fire Media, 718-522-7171