I first got hip on Fela through Like Water for Chocolate.

I reckon the 'stripped down' version of 'Water Got no Enemy' which became 'Pop's Rap' on LWFC prepared me for Fela.

Even then i must say i was not ready for Fela's Afrobeat grooves. I had never made the connection between LWFC and Fela since i only had a TDK 90 copy of LWFC. Years later someone was playing 'Water' and I was like who is that? that is Common's song ( i only discovered later that even Femi played on LWFC and the very next song 'Heat' on LWFC sampled Fela's drummer Tony Allen).

In fact LWFC is one of the few hiphop albums where Afrobeat is generously sampled or Afrobeat is used as influence.

Sometimes 'watered down' covers do help an uninitiated ear.

One of my favourite Fela songs is 'Gentleman', that intro alone is pure magic. One thing i can advise on Fela is listen to as many songs as possible, its pure uncut African funk. I bought myself a couple of books on Fela, Micheal E. Veal's book is very good.