FOLA on Locking In, From Betting Shop to Paid Crowds & Building ‘Catharsis’ on His Terms

FOLA sits down with Joey Akan and goes all the way back; Ibadan, the betting shop, the pen and notepad days when nobody was watching. He talks about locking in early, the people who believed in him when the gap felt impossible, and why he is grateful that he committed to the process. From writing in private to watching crowds spend their hard-earned money to see him live, FOLA breaks down how he selects records, works with his team and even admits he sometimes pulls songs straight from his manager’s love life. He opens up about the making of his debut album Catharsis, the emotional release that defined his arrival, and what it meant to link with artists like BNXN and Davido. This is the story of focus, process, and quiet persistence paying off. Follow Joey Akan and Afrobeats Intelligence for the latest coverage on African music culture and news. Substack: Afrobeats Intelligence Instagram: @joeyakan @afrobeatsintel Tik Tok: @joeyakan @afrobeatsintelligence X: @joeyakan @afrobeatsintel Follow FOLA: Instagram: @Folapondis TikTok:@folapondis X: @folapondis Created and hosted by award-winning Nigerian journalist and music critic Joey Akan, Afrobeats Intelligence is presented by OkayAfrica, a division of AREYA MEDIA INC, and is sponsored by Martell. Find exclusive Okayplayer merch, tees and limited releases at https://shop.okayplayer.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices