Sound Sultan’s ‘Mathematics’ was probably the last time a Nigerian artiste took the entire country on a nation building course in a classroom from the comfort of their homes.
Buying into this idea, Falz didn’t hesitate to harness the guiding powers that comes with the four walls of a classroom; hence, using it as theme for his ‘Moral Instruction’ listening party which held recently at the Landmark Towers, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The ‘Moral Instruction’ album is a follow-up to 2016’s collaborative extended play (EP) ‘Chemistry’ with afro soul singer Simi.
Comprising nine tracks, the theme centres on issues as politics, corruption and equality. Generally, it leans towards the activism that defines Fela’s body of work, with each track possessing strong afrobeat flavours with a touch of contemporary hip hop influences.
This move taken by Falz on a more grandiose scale by way of an album is an extension of the forerunner track ‘This Is Nigeria’, a politically and socio-culturally controversial track that grasped the attention of many with its blunt messages.
"Now is the time. Now, more than ever, we need to wake up. Now is very, very vital in terms of the political climate, how bad things have gotten.
"Now is the time, and that’s why I decided I’m not going to delay this anymore. I will go for it, speak my mind.” a resolute Falz said explaining the reason behind the body of work.
Three tracks on the album: ‘Follow-Follow’, ‘Amen’, and ‘E No Finish’ directly sample works of the afrobeat king. Preceding the album release, ‘Talk’ assumed first single status. The track mirrors closely the messages addressed on ‘This Is Nigeria’ viral track released in 2018.
"It is more than an album for me” Falz said explaining the essence of the album. "In my opinion, it is a movement; it is a re-education, it is a re-orientation. It is us learning and unlearning some things - and very important things, I think.
"Quite obviously, we have lost the plot as a people; as a country... and I think any day we complain about the state of affair, and how we need to move forward, but the real deep-rooted problem is miseducation. So, this album aims to re-educate and re-orientate.”
Agencies