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Nigerian rapper and activist, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, has vowed to continue using his music to address corruption, inequality and poor governance, insisting that protest songs remain a powerful tool for inspiring social and political change.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News, Falz said he draws inspiration from the realities facing Nigerians and believes artists have a responsibility to confront issues affecting society rather than ignore them.
“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.
According to him, protest music motivates citizens to become more engaged in national issues and can encourage meaningful action.
“Protest music, as you’ve termed it, is the sort of music that galvanizes 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 stated.
Explaining why he repeatedly addresses governance and social issues in his songs, Falz said Nigeria’s persistent challenges make it impossible for him to remain silent.
“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.
“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. That is why I will always speak about these issues—now, tomorrow, the day after,” he vowed.
