Nigeria’s Problems Keep Inspiring My Protest Songs — Falz

Nigerian rapper and activist, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, has vowed to continue using his music to address corruption, inequality and poor governance, saying he will not remain silent while the challenges confronting Nigerians persist.

Falz, who spoke during an interview on ARISE News, said protest music remains a powerful tool for mobilising citizens, stirring emotions and encouraging people to become more involved in social and political issues.

The rapper said his decision to repeatedly address governance and social challenges in his songs was driven by the realities around him and his belief that musicians have a responsibility to speak about issues affecting society.

According to him, music has the ability to transcend social and political boundaries because of its capacity to evoke emotions and influence people's perspectives.

“I think music, before, now, and in the future will always have the power to effect change at any level and speak to anyone.

“Music is a phenomenon that evokes emotion, and regardless of who you are or where you stand, music will always have the power to evoke an emotion in you,” he said.

Falz argued that protest songs could help galvanise citizens and inspire them to take action on issues affecting their communities and the country at large.

He said the impact of such music might not always be immediate, but sustained awareness could encourage more people to engage with national issues and demand meaningful change.

“Protest music, as you’ve termed it, is the sort of music that galvanises people. It puts a ‘ginger’ in them, if you like, and motivates people.

“Now, does that directly translate to effecting change? I think so. I think the more people are encouraged by this sort of music, the more people feel the need to do more. That is precisely what I’m trying to do,” he said.

Explaining why themes such as corruption, inequality and governance continue to feature prominently in his music, the rapper said Nigeria's persistent challenges make it difficult for him to simply move on to other subjects.

Falz said he draws inspiration from his immediate environment and believes that artists should confront uncomfortable realities rather than avoid them.

“Someone has to do the heavy lifting, eh? I feel this work has to be done. I feel these issues need to be spoken about.

“I’m the sort of artist that draws inspiration from my immediate environment. I keep returning to these themes because we, as a people, have not been able to remove ourselves from these themes. I keep returning to these themes because somebody needs to talk about these things,” he said.

The musician maintained that if others choose to avoid difficult conversations about Nigeria's problems, he would continue to address them through his music and public advocacy.

“If everyone else keeps running away from it, I will continue to run towards it because we need to face these issues squarely.

“We can’t just continue sweeping the dirt under the carpet. At some point, we will implode. We have to talk about it, and we have to talk about it now, continuously,” Falz said.

He vowed that his commitment to speaking on social and political issues would remain unchanged, regardless of criticism or opposition.

“That is why I will always speak about these issues now, tomorrow, the day after,” he said.

Falz has over the years built a reputation for using his music and public platform to comment on governance, police brutality, corruption and other social issues, making activism a recurring feature of his artistic expression.