Moral Instructions… Another conscious work from Falz Da Bahd Guy

Not every Nigerian artiste would have the gut to fix his/her album listening session on a Monday evening; not in a city like Lagos.

But for Folarin Falana, popularly know as Falz in the showbiz circle, who seems to have mastered the act of taking risk, nothing is impossible.

As part of activities to herald the release of his latest album Moral Instructions, Falz on Monday hosted a special album listening session in Lagos.

Held at the Landmark Towers, Oniru, Lagos, the event, which brought together notable players in the showbiz industry, as well as friends and family members of the rapper, including his parents Mr and Mrs Femi Falana, was an opportunity for fans to sample tracks from his new album.

Though there were fears of a possible low turnout, as the event was originally scheduled for 8pm, the conscious rapper and his team were confident that the show would happen as planned.

While guests, who turned up on time, waited by the lobby, the team ensured the room was properly set up for the evening. Trust Falz; he has a way of doing his things.

Guests were wowed as they stepped into the room, which was practically transformed into a classroom, with the ushers all dressed in school uniforms.

In fact, a good number of the guests adhered to the dress code; any school uniform of choice. However, there were others, especially celebrities, who turned up in casual outfits.

Notwithstanding, you can help but have the feeling that it was going to be indeed a moral instruction class.

If the blackboard was not enough clue to what Falz had in stock for the evening, the exercise books, pen and mathematical sets placed on each of the desks, was enough indication it was going to be a classroom session.

Meanwhile, the social conscious singer had teased the album few days to the launch by releasing art covers and merchandise designed by the legendary art illustrator, Lemi Gariokwu who used to work for the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

The album itself also samples three of Fela’s songs, which were also sampled.

With two giant screens at strategic positions in the room, guests had the opportunity of not only listening to the tracks but also watched the music video TYalk, a socio-conscious track that addresses critical happenings in the society.

As the songs plays, Falz took time to run commentaries, explaining the lengthy process he had to go through to sample the songs, adding that he almost gave up, especially with securing rights to use the tracks, which were released on foreign labels.

“We sampled three songs from Fela on the album, it was a lot deciding whether to do the samples, but I wanted the elements of the original Afrobeat. That was one of the main reasons I wanted us to sample and it was a lot of ‘wahala’ to clear the samples.

“We had to talk to his estate, talk to different companies in France and another in US that held the right to his Masters. I was this close to giving it all up but then I thought again, for what I want to achieve, I had to go ahead with it,” he said

The New album follows the “27” album released in 2017 and contains nine songs, including Talk, Follow Follow, Johnny, Brother’s Keeper and the rest.

The rapper, who has also made a mark in Nollywood, worked with Sess on the production of most of the tracks in the album, with additional contributions from TMXO and Willis.

While fielding questions from guests at the event, the rapper maintained that he detests transactional sex and will continue to speak out against it in his works.

“Shamelessly, I will continue to say it; I detest transactional sex. It is my thing, that is what I believe in and you will continue to hear it in my music.”

On the vision behind the album project, he explained, “I knew I was going to do this album, but I just didn’t know when. I felt there’s no need to delay it anymore, now is the time. I feel like a lot of artistes stay away from making contents like this, understandably so, but I have decided that if we have to change the mentality, then we need to be bold, we need to be brave.”

Describing Moral Instruction as more than an album, he said, “Its is a movement, a re-education and a re-orientation. It is us learning and unlearning some things. Quite obviously, we have lost a plot as a people, as a country.”

Falz is one Nigerian music artistes, who boasts a successful legal career and also banks as a songwriter, an actor and television personality.

Though a lawyer by profession, the singer has won more hearts on the mic more than in the law court.

Unlike many singers, who knew from childhood that they were born to shine through music, Falz’s childhood dream wasn’t to become a singer. 

However, things changed while he was in secondary school, leading him to pick up music as a hobby.

From developing himself on some aspects of music, the singer started a music group called The School Boys with some of his schoolmates and friends.

Not long after, precisely in 2009, Falz dropped his debut mixtape titled Shakara: The Mixtape as a secondary school student.

Two years later, he came up with another mind-blowing single hit titled Waz Up Guy.

He was eventually thrust into small-scale stardom after his hits Currency and High Class made their way to the music industry and became quite popular.

His breakout song titled Marry Me was released in 2015 and was subsequently nominated for the Best Collaboration of The Year award at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards held in 2015.

Falz’s music credits, which have won him commendations, as well as many awards in the music industry, include Ello Bae (2015), Stories That Touch (2015), Chemistry (a collabo with Nigerian singer Simi), Soldier, and Jamb Question.

Last year, he released Next and This Is Nigeria, with a video inspired by American actor/comedian Donald Glover’s song, This is America.