Rising Afrobeats star Fola opens up about how music changed his life—from spending his first night in a Lagos police station to finding success. He says the fame came at a cost, including giving up the campus experience.
Fola, whose real name is Folarin Odunlami, says his rise in music has come with a steep price. He admitted he “can’t go to campus anymore” as he reflects on how fame altered his path and closed doors to normal experiences.
He revealed the story of how he arrived in Lagos in 2018 to chase a music dream and on his first day was arrested, spending a night in a police station—a moment that nearly made him surrender. Since signing with Bella Shmurda’s Dagbani Republik in 2024, Fola has built a growing catalog and heightened expectations.
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Born in Lagos State in 1999, Fola said he never expected the harsh welcome he got when he moved to the city. He told interviewers that the arrest and impatience of the city almost broke his will. He described Lagos as “tough,” and said he wasn’t ready for it.
Fola got attention with his song “Alone” and other tracks like “Feeling” and “Lost” with Kizz Daniel. After his signing in late 2024 with Dagbani Republik, he began getting mainstream features and streaming traction.
His sound blends pop-soul, Fuji-tinged vocals, and Afrobeats rhythms. Fola said that the sudden fame forced him to leave behind the student life and campus ambitions—he now focuses fully on the craft and survival in the music industry.
He confessed that the demands of the industry, the constant travel, studio sessions and security concerns make regular campus life impossible now. The transformation from student to rising star was swift and irreversible.
Fola’s debut album, Catharsis, is slated for release in September 2025. He said it’s a deeply personal project aimed at “mending what life tried to break.” He hopes the record will translate his struggles into healing for both him and his fans.
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