For many Nigerians, Fola’s rise to fame appears to have happened almost overnight. In the space of a few years, the singer has gone from being a relatively unknown act to collaborating with some of Afrobeats’ biggest names, including Wizkid, Kizz Daniel, BNXN, Bella Shmurda, Zlatan, Ayra Starr, Victony and DJ Tunez.
But behind the chart success is a story of persistence, faith, family support and difficult decisions.
Speaking on the Tea With Tay podcast in July 2026, the fast-rising singer offered one of his most personal interviews yet, reflecting on his life before fame, the career-defining choices that shaped his journey, and the mindset that has kept him grounded despite his rapid success.
From working as a Bet9ja cashier in Ibadan to almost signing with Kizz Daniel before eventually joining Bella Shmurda’s Dangbana Republik, here are five of the biggest revelations from Fola’s interview.
Who is Fola?
Born Afolarin Odunlami, Fola is a Nigerian singer-songwriter who has steadily established himself as one of Afrobeats’ brightest new voices.
Although he began releasing music years earlier, his profile grew with songs such as Ginger Me, Feeling and Alone, the latter becoming his breakthrough record after its release in July 2024. The success of the song paved the way for his signing to Dangbana Republik in October 2024, where he has continued to build an impressive catalogue of music.
His debut EP, What a Feeling, arrived in December 2024 before he released his first studio album, Catharsis, in September 2025. Along the way, he has collaborated with leading stars including Bella Shmurda, BNXN, Kizz Daniel, Wizkid, Zlatan, DJ Tunez, Magixx, BhadBoi OML and others, while also growing his audience beyond Nigeria through successful performances in the United Kingdom.
Yet despite the growing fame, Fola says he has remained focused on the values that shaped him long before the spotlight found him.
1. He went from working as a Bet9ja cashier in Ibadan to becoming a music star
Perhaps the most emotional moment of the interview came when Fola reflected on how drastically his life has changed within a short period.
Before becoming one of Nigeria’s emerging music stars, he worked as a Bet9ja cashier in Ibadan, a job many people in his neighbourhood associated him with.
Returning home after his breakthrough made him realise just how much his life had transformed. He said:
“I went home to Ibadan once, like four months after everything. That’s where I came from, Bet9ja cashier. That’s what people used to know me for in my area, not music. From that time to this time is mind blowing. Ibadan has crazy love for me.”
His comments captured the reality behind many success stories in the entertainment industry. Particularly of years of ordinary work before the recognition finally comes.
Today, the same city where he was once known for working in a betting shop now celebrates him as one of its musical exports.
2. His music journey started because he wanted to impress girls in secondary school
While many artists speak about discovering music through church or family, Fola admitted his first motivation was much simpler and humorous.
According to him, there was a student in his junior secondary school who constantly wrote rap songs and attracted attention from girls. Seeing that inspired him to try music for himself. In his words:
“There was a guy in JS2 that was always making music and getting girls. I wanted to do it but I didn’t know I could do it.”
Unable to write his own lyrics at first, he copied one of his elder brother’s rap verses and performed it in school. The performance turned out better than he expected. He continued:
“My brother was always writing rap then, so I copied his rap and went to school the next day. I did my own and everyone was clapping. Even the proprietor came. I said, ‘Wow, I have to do this thing.’”
Although that moment sparked his interest, music was already deeply rooted in his family. Fola recalled:
“Besides that, in my house everyone sings. We always have morning devotion, so we all sing.”
That combination of childhood curiosity and a musical home eventually laid the foundation for the career he enjoys today.
3. A cousin convinced him to leave Ibadan for Lagos and it changed everything
Every successful career has a turning point, and for Fola, it came in 2018 when one of his cousins encouraged him to relocate from Ibadan to Lagos.
At the time, he did not even have a place to stay, but his cousin believed he needed to be closer to the centre of Nigeria’s music industry. He revealed:
“My cousin really liked my music. He was the one that told me, ‘Fola, you need to leave Ibadan, you need to go to Lagos.’ At that time, I didn’t even have a place to stay. He was like, ‘Just come, everything will be fine.’”
Trusting that advice proved to be one of the biggest decisions of his life. He continued:
“So I went to Lagos. It was 2018. When I got to Lagos, the environment was different. The music industry was really fast. I was meeting people, and it just clicked.”
He also credited a friend back in Ibadan for helping him establish his social media presence by creating content that introduced his music to more people.
Together, those early acts of support helped move his career from a dream into reality.
4. He almost signed with Kizz Daniel before joining Bella Shmurda’s Dangbana Republik
One of the biggest revelations from the interview was that Fola nearly became a Kizz Daniel signee.
According to him, Bella Shmurda introduced him to the award-winning singer during discussions about a possible record deal. The meeting went well. In his words:
“We wanted to do a deal and as part of doing the deal, he took me to Kizz Daniel. He liked me and wanted to sign me but it didn’t work out.”
Rather than dwelling on the opportunity that slipped away, Fola believes it happened for a reason. When asked whether the failed deal was disappointing, he simply replied:
“It was God’s plan.”
That path eventually led him to Dangbana Republik, where he says Bella Shmurda has given him the freedom to remain authentic.
“Bella is my brother… he’s such a great guy. He always lets me be myself… that’s how we’ve been working.”
His comments offered insight into why the partnership has worked so well and why he feels comfortable developing his career under Bella’s guidance.
5. He trusted his instincts, ignored comparisons and used his success to uplift his family
Perhaps the clearest picture of Fola’s mindset came when he explained how he handled the release of Alone, the song that transformed his career.
His management wanted to delay the release until they had a stronger rollout strategy and marketing budget. Fola, however, believed the song’s time had come.
He revealed that he spent three hours on the phone trying to convince his team. He said:
“I was on the phone with my manager for three straight hours… They just wanted a proper plan to put the song out… I told them I couldn’t wait. I just wanted to drop the song.”
He trusted his instincts.
“I was just feeling it… I just had the gut feeling that this is the song.”
His instinct proved correct. He recalled that his previous single, Feeling, had accumulated around 30,000 streams over four months, while Alone reached the same number on its very first day.
“That was when I knew… the response was amazing.”
The interview also revealed the philosophy that helps him stay focused despite the competitive nature of the music industry. He shared:
“The one solution I have given myself is that I don’t compare myself to anybody. Once I see peace, it’s going. Sabi boy don’t know pressure if you believe in yourself… I just believe in myself.”
Away from music, Fola said his greatest joy has been giving back to his family. Asked how he spent his first major earnings, he revealed that he bought land for his mother in Ibadan, where she now runs her church.
“I got my mom a land.”
When the host sought clarification, he explained further.
“Yeah… she’s a prophetess.”
He added that he had earlier bought his father a car and insisted that both parents are well taken care of.
“I even got my dad a car before my mom’s building… So they’re taken care of. Everyone is good.”
Fola also credited his mother with planting the belief that he was destined for greatness long before success arrived.
“My mum always put the idea of being a star into me. She used to tell me that I’m going to be a star, I should just pray and be myself.”
He said neither of his parents ever discouraged his musical ambitions, recalling how his father proudly shared one of his songs after it was released.
Conclusion
Fola’s appearance on Tea With Tay was more than an interview about music. It was the story of a young man whose journey has been shaped by faith, persistence, family support and an unwavering belief in himself.
From serving customers at a Bet9ja shop in Ibadan to performing before sold-out crowds in the United Kingdom and preparing for shows in Canada, his rise reflects years of quiet determination rather than overnight success.
The interview also showed that while fame has changed his circumstances, it has not changed his priorities. Whether speaking about the cousin who convinced him to move to Lagos, the mother who always told him he would become a star, or the instinct that led him to release Alone against advice, Fola repeatedly returned to the same message: trust the process, believe in yourself and never lose sight of where you came from.
For an artist whose career is still gathering momentum, those lessons may prove to be just as important as the hit songs that introduced him to the world.
