‘Nobody is perfect’ — Falz talks criticisms after ‘Moral Instruction’

Folarin Falana, Nigerian rapper and actor better known as Falz, has addressed the numerous criticisms that trailed the release of ‘Moral Instruction’, his 2019 debut album.

Speaking about his societal conscious release in an interview with Silverbird TV, Falz narrated how he managed the emotional rigour and flurry of backlashes that ensued at the time.

“And lots of people sent me messages asking me if I thought I was perfect, who I am to say this? Who am I to judge? Who am I to do this and that? But, at the end of the day, nobody is perfect,” said Falz.

“I’ve never come to say that I’m faultless. I’m by no means a perfect human being. But I feel that we sort of have to develop principles and rejig our morals if we’re going to move forward as a people and get ourselves out of the chaos we’re in right now.

“As entertainers, we have a huge voice and a huge platform. If I do not use my platform to speak the truth, or to attempt steering my people in the right direction, then I feel like I’m doing it (societal ills) the service.”

Having had his big break in 2015, the 28-year-old Afropop star has undoubtedly made a name for himself in the country’s entertainment industry and garnered numerous prestigious awards for his critically-acclaimed albums and ingenious Nollywood roles.

In a recent listicle released by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN), the gifted singer was ranked the highest grossing Nollywood actor for 2018, having earned himself a total of N513 million.

Although ‘Moral Instruction’ is widely believed to have rightly dealt a critical blow on the nation’s dwindling morals, there are some who think Falz had gone overboard and self-righteous with his ‘judgemental stance’ on the issues addressed in his songs.

In June 2018, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) also asked Falz to withdraw his ‘This is Nigeria’ track and apologize to Nigerians or face legal action. This came after the group claimed that the hijab girls portrayed in the video could “brew religious crisis”.

“This video has the potential of causing a religious crisis of unprecedented dimension. We demand its withdrawal and an apology to Nigerian Muslims within seven days or the authors and their agents will face legal action if they fail to comply,” the group had said.