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Falz Stirs Controversy With His Song ‘This Is Nigeria (We Be Criminals)’ (pics)

By Muyiwa Olayinka

Falz the Bahd guy is a Nigerian rapper, a musician who has paid his dues and has entrenched himself in the consciousness of Nigerian music lovers. You can call him a comic rapper with some of his songs providing a comical relief, making ways into homes of many music lovers. He delivers his punch line with clarity of purpose and avoiding vulgar lyrics.
Falz’s real name is Folarin Falana, the son of Femi Falana, a popular Nigerian lawyer and human right activist. Folarin is also a lawyer but shed his gown for music, his first love. He advocates music for social retooling, entertainment and relaxation. He criticized 9ice, a Nigerian musician of one of his songs (Living Things) accusing him of glorifying fraudsters.
A chip of the old block, Falz stirs the hornet’s nest with his new song ‘This is Nigeria’ (he suggests all Nigerians are criminals)

Does Falz want to throw his hat in the political arena, most especially with the call for youths to be involved in politics?.
Or is he following his father’s footsteps, with this new song?
The song released on the 24th of May is a satirical piece talking about the present issues Nigeria is dealing with and how government is handling or mis handling the situation.
Some of the issues he raised in this song are:

Dilapidated state of health facilities
Running a neo colonial capitalist system
Inimical acts of Nigerian police especially SARS ( Special Anti Robbery Squad)
Murderous campaign of Fulani herdsmen
Nigerian President calling youths lazy
Mega churches building schools that members cannot afford
Corruption acts where a suspect alluding that snake swallowed N36m
Inspector General of Police’s gibberish ‘transmission’ public delivery , and many more.

Falz expressly with the video of the song, captures the reality of the plight of the nation and Nigerians. The song and the video shows the creativity of Falz and he has raised the bar again.
To me this song is educating and helping many Nigerians to make up their mind in electing political leaders to different elective positions in the forthcoming general elections.
This song has been endorsed by the duo American rap stars of Puff Daddy and Drake.
So if you have not watched the video, you are missing.



P Diddy & Falz

This is the lyrics of the song, crafted in English but mixed with Nigerian’s pidgin English

Intro]
They’re extremely poor
And the medical facilities are poor
We operate a predictory neo-colonial capitalist system
Which is founded on fraud and exploitation
And therefore, you are bound to have corrupt institutionalists
Many criminal cases are settled in police stations, albeit illegal
[Hook]
Eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh ewo oh
Eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh ewo oh
Eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh ewo oh
[Chorus]
This is nigeria
Look how am living nah
Look how am living nah
Everybody be criminal
This is nigeria
Look how we’ living nah
Look what we’ eating nah
Everybody be criminal
[Verse 1]
This is nigeria
Just because am on tv nah
Person wey no get work is checking
To see if my watch is original
This is nigeria
Where that madam philomena?
Money vanish for your office
36 milli, you talk say na animal
This is nigeria
Never ending recession oh
Where looters and killers and stealers are still
Contesting election oh
Politician wey thief some billion and billion
He no dey go prison oh
Uh, police station dey close by 6- security reason oh
[baba] my brothers and siters, [e se o baba] I want you to put
Your hands up right now [e se o baba] because your miracle
Is coming this week [a wa dupe baba]
If you believe me, let me hear you say amen
[Verse 2]
Ahn, this is nigeria, praise and worship, we’ singing out
Pastor put his hand on the breast of his member,
He’s pulling the demon out
This is nigeria [yea]
No electricity daily oh [eh]
Young people are still working multiple jobs
And they talk say we lazy oh
This is nigeria [eh]
There’s plenty wahala sha
Fulani herdsmen still dey slaughter
Carry people dey massacre
This is nigeria
Bombs in my area this is democracy
Political hysteria
Yahoo yahoo don tear everywhere now
And we act like it’s so cool
Casting the p and being castigated just for trying to be noble
This is nigeria, look at my nation ooh
Sarz stop me for road, any explanation,
You go talk am for station oh
Sir, look sir, am just a student
Am a student of the university of lagos
We’re just coming from the club, okay
[eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh ewo oh]
So my friend and I, we’, no, sir, I have my id to prove
[eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh ewo oh]
[Chorus]
This is nigeria
Look how am living nah
Look how am living nah
Everybody be criminal
This is nigeria
Look how we’ living nah
Look what we’ eating nah
Everybody be criminal
[Verse 3]
“This is break in transmission of ehm, sansmission e
Transmission”
What happen everyday is that, the system must allowed it
For instance, there’s no law that allows you
To take money from the church, invest in business
And privatize it- no
It is only in nigeria where you can take money from the church
Money contributed by poor congregation member [public fund]
You go and setup a university that the members cannot attend
Cannot send their children to
It’s against the rule of eh the law of god
It’s against our constitution
The End!!!

The controversy is still raging as the Islamic pressure group Muslim Right Concern (MURIC) express dismay and give Falz 7 days to remove the offensive portion of the video where ladies wearing hijab were seen dancing ‘Shaku Shaku’ dance steps.

Shaku Shaku is the reigning dance steps in Nigeria.

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