Nigerian rapper, Falz has opened up about the challenges of handling his music career with practicing law.
Speaking on the Madam Joyce podcast, the artist, whose real name is Folarin Falana, shared how he lived a “double life” as a lawyer during the day and a rapper at night.
He described the difficulty of balancing both worlds, noting an “unspoken rule” in the legal profession that discourages lawyers from pursuing other careers while practicing.
Falz recounted a humorous yet nerve-wracking moment in court when his two identities nearly collided. He said:
“There was one time I was in court, I was living a double life at the time as well. Lawyer by day, rapper by night. So I announced my appearance ‘With profound respect my lord, the name is Folarin the Falana, appearing for the plaintiff’.”
He continued:
“And the judge just lowered his glasses and was like, ‘counsel, are you not the one doing something else on the side?’ There is an unspoken rule of professional conduct within the legal profession where you are not supposed to do other things while in practice.”
The rapper, who holds a law degree from the University of Reading in England, has also ventured into acting. He made his Nollywood debut in the 2016 movie Couple of Days.
