Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana is a skilled lawyer who was called to the bar in 2012 and briefly worked in his father, Femi Falana’s SAN chambers, before taking control of his own career. Falz, 33, has boldly registered his name on the Nigerian entertainment scene as a rapper, actor, record label owner, and content creator in a decade. His career formally began in 2014, two years after finishing law school, and he hasn’t looked back since.
In an interview with The Nation, he reflects on his decade-long career and life experiences, noting, “A big lesson I’ve learned is to do everything I’ve always wanted to do. If there’s something you’re passionate about and can be good at, pursue it. If I had restricted myself earlier in my career, I probably wouldn’t be the brand I am today. The brand I am today is all-encompassing. I’m the guy in film, in music, and more. I still am Falz the Bahd Guy. Another recent lesson is to just act. If you have an idea, just do it. Don’t overthink it. Don’t sit on it. Those are two big lessons I’ve learned.”
Falz confessed that, while he did not set out to become a multi-talented performer with laurels in both the film and music sectors, music helped shape the brand he has become. After a brief vacation from music since his debut in 2014, Falz realized that he wanted to pause, relax, and return to the scene in a different way, so he decided to take a break before returning. The music star went on to highlight the things he learned after taking a break to regroup and return to the scene with a new perspective.
He said: “I think the biggest lesson I learned is to stop overthinking. As a creative person, it’s very easy to fall into that hole. It’s a very deep hole, overthinking everything, wanting to come out in the best way possible. I’m a perfectionist, both creatively and personally. I felt myself really entering deep into that hole, so I needed to pause. That is the biggest lesson I’ve learned because I realised it was all for nothing. There’s no need to keep going deep there. You just have to move, just act. If you have a great idea, just act, just work on it. That’s the biggest lesson.”
Falz returned in 2024 and released an Extended Play named ‘Before The Feast.’ According to the singer/rapper, the EP is a breath of fresh air, free of politically or socially concerned songs. For him, ‘Before The Feast’ is an intentional music endeavour with a clear aim, and he does not want to be convinced.
Speaking further about what distinguishes the EP, he stated: “On this project, I’m not doing much of the social or political commentary that I typically do. There are socially conscious lyrics, but not particularly about the affairs of the country. That is intentional as well. I resolved not to complain because the emotion I’m trying to convey has to be one that comes without that element of complaining. I want to put the listener in the mindset I feel they should have as an African existing in 2024. ‘Before The Feast’ wouldn’t fully give you that yet, but wait for ‘The Feast,’ my upcoming album.”
In the same vein, the ‘Jenifa’ and ‘Brotherhood‘ actor emphasized the need for new sounds following multiple concerns about Nigerian Afro-pop music sounding similar.
“It’s time for new sounds that will bring us back to what we do best: produce different sorts of music. I’m not sure how we became locked in the era of seeking a specific style of sound. I believe everyone will start to listen following this project.”
“It is time for new sounds that would really take us back to what we know how to do best and that is to make different types of music. I don’t know how we got trapped in the era of chasing a certain type of sound. I think everybody will start to open their ears after this project.”
Falz also decried the expensive expense of music marketing, citing his decade-long experience running an independent record label. He also praised a colleague, Iyanya, who claimed to have spent over N50 million on a song promotion, stating that more may be spent. The ‘Soldier’ rapper also expressed concern that the hefty expense of music promotion may demoralize many real talents, causing the business to miss out on them.
