EXCLUSIVE: “Success is breaking more grounds in my field and beyond in terms of impact on other people and inspiring other people” -Falz

Folarin Falana aka Falzthebahdguy is everyone’s sweetheart. He makes us laugh till our ribs crack. He is doing everything from music, to comedy and television. He recently got an Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award for the best comedy act in a television series for his role as Segun in Jenifa’s Diary. His hit song, Soldier with Simi got everyone loving him even more.The almost 15 minutes movie video for soldier got him and Simi acting like Mr. Soldier and Bae which melted our hearts. In his exclusive interview with Impelling Africa, he revealed the secret to his success and, how he has managed to stay consistent.

Can you let us into your background, how you grew up and some childhood memories?

I had my primary school education in Ikeja, Lagos. Secondary school in Osun State, Olasore Secondary School. Then went to University of Reading in the UK and Nigerian Law School afterwards. I finished in 2011.

That is some milestone. Would you say all these experiences and trips have formed who you are as an artiste?

Definitely, like they say, you are a product of your environment. Everywhere I have been I have picked something and in some way, have played a part in who I am today as a person as well as an artiste.

Music has been your terrain, it was initially what we knew you for and it all started in secondary school. How was music when you first started back then?    

Back then, it was more of a thing we did to passed time and enjoyed doing. It was just a hobby back then. I had a group when I was in secondary school. It was four of us in the group called The School Boys. We kept on performing at variety shows and activities in school and sort of got popular. Then after SS 3, everyone went their separate ways but I kept on writing and recording while I was in university.

I see you as someone who has carved a niche for himself, you know what you are good at and you stay focused, you mix it with a little bit of comedy and it works for you, at what point did you develop your style?

I think around 2009, I was 19. That was when I released my first mixtape called Shakara, there was a song on the mixtape called Shakara as well that has that perfect blend of cool character that was ‘rass’, that was when I knew okay, this will be my style and what I want to stick to. I kept on releasing songs. In 2011, I released a song called ‘Whatsup guy’, that too had a blend of the cool persona as well.

You have been nominated for awards, and you just won one that you probably didn’t see yourself winning. How did you get into acting?

Last year was my first ever film related role and this year I got my first ever AMVCA, I don’t think anyone will have foreseen that kind of thing. Already, I had featured in a film called Couple of Days, but what I won the award for was for my role in Jenifa’s Diary. We have literally recorded just two seasons so when I got the nomination, I was like wow, wow, I didn’t see it coming, and then I won it (He laughs). So it was big and huge for me.  Why it was more significant for me was because it sort of marked that successful crossover from the music industry into acting, now I have successfully expanded my brand even way beyond music and the style. I am now an actor as well.

It must have definitely been a lot of hard work for you

Yes, it has.

Do you mind sharing your challenges and what has helped you keep a clear head and helped you stay focused?

Initially, when I started, some challenges I faced was that people didn’t really pay too much attention. There is a way you have to push music, the music industry in Nigeria doesn’t really have a structure. You just have to deal with that. And then, coming out and breaking out of the shell because my dad was already a popular figure. So everything I did, it was oh Femi Falana’s son  but at the end of the day, I wanted to make a name for myself. It was very hard breaking that shell but I think I have successfully made a name for myself. So now when they see him, they say Falzthebahdguy’s dad (he laughs). It’s been a great twist and something that he continues to mention.

How is your mom taking the situation?

Yeah, she is very proud of me. And  my dad too. They were just concerned about me finishing my education and getting my qualification. They never really stood against me.

If you weren’t singing or acting, What is that thing you could do for free without tying money to and still have fun with?         

Maybe football, I am a big football fan. I’m really good at the game, I enjoy the game. It is something I have loved doing since I was young.

Have you tried to get any sort of training in that regard?

I can play. It’s what I do to pass time.

At what point do you or would you consider yourself successful?

Success is fulfillment. I won’t necessarily tie too much monetary value to success. I would tie more accolades and awards to success. I would tie more achievements to success in terms of breaking new boundaries, breaking more grounds in my field and beyond my field in terms of impact on other people and inspiring other people. That is what I would term as successful. And who had been my role model? I look at my dad as role model. He is extremely hardworking and has such resilient spirit.

That is the same thing  you have shown, you have crossed your bound and expanded

Yes, I hope to take a page from that book and emulate that lifestyle in my own field.  

Impelling Africa is a magazine we want to use to inspire the youths and placing focus on those things they think they can’t achieve, because right now, things are hard. It is actually looking like they need to go through the eye of a needle to get what they want. You are one guy who stood out and giving it a hundred percent, whatever you go through behind the scene, no one knows. They just see that you put good stuff out there. What will you say to inspire people like these?

I would say, as much as you want to go down my line, I would say you shouldn’t do too much of that in the sense that you should not over-emulate, you should have an identity of your own. I think that was what got me to where I am today. That fact that I have a peculiar style, very different and I have something that is very unique about me. That one thing nobody has that is peculiar to me. Once you have that and identify that, once you can work on and build on that, I think there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

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