Fast rising Afrobeats singer, Folarin Odunlami, well known as Fola, has recounted a shocking experience on the very day he arrived in Lagos to chase his music dreams.
Speaking in an interview with The Beat 99.9 FM Lagos, the ‘Alone’ hitmaker disclosed that he was arrested and spent a night in police custody when he moved to the city in 2018.
“The very first day I came to Lagos, I was arrested. I slept at the police station. It was a long story. I don’t even like to remember it. I almost gave up,” he said, recalling how the incident nearly shattered his ambition.
Fola, who was later signed to Bella Shmurda’s Dagbani Republik in October 2024, said the ordeal initially demoralised him but also toughened him for Lagos’ demanding hustle.
“I wasn’t born here, so it was hard at first, but I’ve adapted to both the living conditions and the hustle,”
he added.
Since his breakthrough with the hit single ‘Alone’, Fola has gone on to collaborate with Afrobeats heavyweights, including Wizkid and Kizz Daniel, cementing his place in the fast-rising music scene.