In a recent interview on the With Chude podcast, Nigerian rapper Falz shared personal insights into his decision to pursue music over law, revealing that he was not pressured by his father’s legal career, despite growing up in a family with a strong legal legacy. The rapper, whose full name is Folarin Falana, discussed the influence of his father, prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana SAN, and how his father’s societal contributions shaped his early ambitions.
Falz explained that while he admired his father and his legal work, he was never forced to follow in his footsteps. “I won’t say it was pressure but when I was super young, it was like, ‘These people have to be something,’” he shared, referring to the high expectations placed on him because of his family name. He added that people frequently linked him to his father, often responding with admiration when they learned of his identity. “If I ever mentioned my name, people would be like, ‘Which Falana? Is it Femi Falana? Oh wow,’” he recalled, noting that his father’s reputation played a significant role in shaping how others viewed him.
Despite this, Falz was clear that his admiration for his father did not translate into pressure to become a lawyer himself. “Everyone sort of had a story about how my dad came to their aid at some point in time and how he fought for them and was there for them,” Falz continued. He said that while he was inspired by his father’s work, he never felt burdened by the expectation to follow his legal path. “At that time, I wasn’t pressured; I aspired to emulate what he was doing,” he said, expressing his desire to carry forward his father’s legacy of fighting for justice, but in his own way through music.
Falz’s brief legal career began when he worked at the Ministry of Justice during his youth service in 2012. He later joined his father’s law firm in 2013, but his growing passion for music soon took precedence. “I did practice law for a short period of time. Very short, almost two years,” he admitted. “I worked at the Ministry of Justice during my youth service, which was like 2012 or so, then in 2013 I was at my father’s firm, and 2014 was when things started to pick up for me, so I started going out of practice.”
The rapper’s transition to music was a natural one, fueled by his passion for entertainment and his desire to carve out his own path. Despite stepping away from law, Falz noted that his father’s impact on his values and outlook remained strong. “I aspired to emulate what he was doing,” he reiterated, but through his music and his platform, using his voice to address social and political issues.
