Fast-rising singer Fola has reflected on his humble beginnings, revealing how he worked in his father’s betting shop before establishing himself in the music industry.
In an interview, Fola shared that his passion for music started in high school, where he played in a band, though he lacked the resources to pursue it professionally. “I started making music in high school obviously not professionally, but I had a band I was playing with,” he said.
After graduation, challenges grew more pressing. Without a phone of his own, he relied on a friend’s device to make progress. “It was difficult for me because I didn’t even have a phone, I was using my guy’s phone to do stuff,” he recalled.
With limited opportunities in Ibadan, Fola took a job at a small betting shop owned by his father, working as a manager and cashier to save money. “I checked my environment, and it wasn’t encouraging so I started working at a bet shop owned by my dad. I worked as a manager and cashier so that I could raise some money for myself,” he said.
Fola described moving to Lagos as the turning point in his career. There, he met the late Mohbad, whom he credits for helping open doors in the music industry. “I met Mohbad. Mohbad did a lot of things for me,” he said.
Through Mohbad, Fola was introduced to Bella Shmurda, leading to an informal collaboration in 2022. “Mohbad and Bella were very close so Mohbad was always telling Bella about me. I and Bella did a song together in 2022 without any paperwork and it was just great,” he said.
Despite their differing levels of fame at the time, Bella agreed to the collaboration without expecting financial gain—a gesture Fola still appreciates. “The gap was so much between us but Bella did it anyway even when he wasn’t going to make a dime out of it,” he added.
Reflecting on his journey, Fola expressed gratitude for his progress: “I thank God for where we are today.”
