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I’m an activist because I’m compassionate, not to become a politician – Falz
Nigerian rapper Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, has made it clear that being a politician is not one of the reasons for his strong advocacy.
The lawyer-cum-rapper revealed that his compassion is what motivates his advocacy in Nigeria during a recent interview on Tacha’s The Big Friday Show.
Falz said, “Compassion, I just care and I cannot afford to witness everything I witness and not say anything and not do anything about it. It’s just the way that I’m built. Nobody is putting fire on my backside and telling me that I must do this or I must do that, it just comes.”
He plainly stated that he had no intent or desire in entering politics when asked if he has any political aspirations. He went even further to make sure people knew that not all activists wanted to run for office.
In his words, “I am not a politician, but I think that everyone should know what they want for themselves and focus on that. There are people that are activists that never really make that transition into politics. Not every activist you see is positioning themselves for political positions.”
Returning to his motivations, the rapper said that even if he is well-known and does not “have to,” he is an activist because he is unable to ignore the wrongs and refuse to work for a better future.
He said, “I can afford not to like you said but in my mind, I feel like I cannot afford to ignore everything that I witness, and that’s my reason.”
See the full interview below:
Back in 2020 when the historic #ENDSARS protest took place, Falz was one of the most noticeable celebrities supporting it and on the front line. During this protest, Nigerian youths fought for the abolition of the rogue Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the police.
His activism did not begin or end with the #ENDSARS demonstration; he has long been outspoken about challenging injustices through his music. He keeps up his advocacy now both in person and online.