Album Review: Falz's "Moral Instruction"

He teased what the album would sound like when he released the lead single "Talk," and a few days later gave us what would eventually be a conversation starter. He's decided to continue where he stopped off with his Nigerian version of Childish Gambino's "This Is America". Falz's adaptation captures the atrocities and diabolical acts that dominate his nation, a theme that greatly inspires his fourth studio album.

The album's opener, "Johnny", immediately introduces us to a Falz' self-serious and polemical nature. On this track, he addresses offender profiling and the extrajudicial killings common in his country. He samples Fela Kuti's "Zombie" on his second track "Follow Follow", which addresses the current influence of social media on the society. Demmie Vee offers his vocals on "Hypocrite", a track that boldly states that the world is full of people with false appearances.

SESS joins Falz on "Brother Keeper" and Chillz on "Paper" to address the prevalent acts of corruption in Nigeria. The rapper's lyricism presents claims that can be quite convincing, and his narration is so accurate you can relate to the artiste's experiences. It's on tracks like "E No Finish" that you realise the intricacy that goes into the production with the inclusion of sound bits. The album closes out with a spoken word piece, "After All Said and Done", that advocates resilience and refusal to mediocrity.

While his Kenyan counterparts are busy engaging in endless conversations and coming up with specious conclusions about playing music, Falz is hard at work. He is a proper example of an artiste who is putting necessary thought to his music. You can pick this from the artistry that goes into the project and the artwork. The effort is so well-thought that he also rolls out a conceptual eight-minute video christened "Moral Instruction: The Curriculum".

Brevity is key, and in only 24 minutes, you get to experience the ingenuity that has become of Falz. From previous works, we have seen him in his comical light. This time, he puts on a serious act and addresses tough political, social and spiritual issues. He explores deep into the rap sound with impressive instrumentation inspired by afrobeat as a means to translate his message of the need for urgent change.