Ah

VERSE 4
'Three private jets/You say you buy am for church/But your congregation no dey follow fly am of course'
This is to depict the religious exploitation and wastage. It could also be linked to the comment on establishment of mission private institutions that aren't affordable for the average member of the church.

"Why your people still dey carry carry eye for someone/Shey I no be person
Cause no be your tribe I come from?/Cause no be your tribe I come from"
This addresses nepotism as against meritocracy which is common in almost virtually every level of government appointments.

"Small man thief for market you set fire for em body/Big man thief money we dey hail am like dummy"
It shows the ironical state of administration of justice in the society. It also reveals the poor meting out justice to their fellow poor ones for the same offence committed by those in a higher positions of authority for which they do not only go scot-free but are also treated as saviours.. This is also evident in the rate at which the public purse is being emptied. In the sense that the politicians and public office holders now steal 'great cash that would be enough to fight the legal and political battles that might follow their possible apprehending'.
"We dey suffer, we dey smile/We dey fear to talk/My people no get chop, my people no get work/These days we no know if authority dey for office/Cause the yawa wey we see, no be security we you promise/And the cup don full, we don tire for all the rubbish/All the punishment" portrays the negligence of moral and constitutional duties of welfare and safety & security officers.

"Nah me talk am!"
This final statement shows Falzs acceptance of responsibility on whatever follows the outburst and it is a necessary clarification especially after the dicey chorus which seems to shift responsibility.

THE HOOK/CHORUS
"Na you talk am o/No be me talk am o/Na you talk am o/No be me talk am o/Na you talk am o/No be me talk am o/Na you talk am o/No be me talk am o"
The call and response indicates the avoidance of taking responsibility for the 'Talk'. This could be due to the adverse effects of saying such a talk in a society that doesn't support talking at all.
On a final note, we must appreciate this track for its prolific efforts at lending his voice to topics that several others would fear to touch on. The questions remain: isnt Falzs Talk too talky? Is Falz the Fela of our time? You should be judge of that yourself.

atandablj@gmail.com
January 2019



Cc: lalasticlala, fynestboi

How Talky is Falz's TALK?
(Considering the political, religious and social referencings) by Atanda O. Bolaji


Recently, Folarin Falana popularly known as Falz released another hit song titled 'Talk', one that has attracted till date comments and analysis from diverse points of view. Many have been of the opinion that Falz is the 21st century Fela, and this could be rightly so if their evidence is the track Talk or more liberally the album moral instruction as whole. This article tries to analyse the political, religious, social and inter-textual potencies of the song with much emphasis on the artist's diction (choice of words).
Falz in this 4-versed song carefully employs words and phrases that aptly depict the picture of his immediate environment. He extensively makes use of Pidgin English. This could be interpreted to be the need to create a common ground between the message, the messenger and the messaged. For the purpose of this analysis, the song will be analysed verse after verse.
VERSE 1
Working in line with religion as one the central themes of the song, Falz starts with a historical allusion. The statement "Brother Muri shout finish we no see am for court' is a loaded one. This statement refers to the Falz-versus-MURIC saga after the release of the video of 'This is Nigeria' in which he makes use of ladies dressed in the Muslim hijab dancing shakushaku. Falz's choice of 'Brother Muri' and 'his' inability to file a legal case against the act is a metaphorical representation of legal threats usually issued against the less privileged in the society so as to silence them. As intextuality is in literary studies, Falz tries to establish the interdependency of songs by relating some of his messages in 'Talk' to some of the same or related issues discussed in his previous songs.

"Election don dey come dem go need your support"

This is aimed at addressing the political tension that pervades the presence of electioneering period. The underneath voice of the recording 'ehm vote for me, vote for me. That's all" is to portray the typical mode of canvassing for people's vote and support during election period in Nigeria which is usually based on empty promises and most times, unrealizable ones.

"Since EFCC bust in, we no see you for club/Eh eh we no see you for club. And you get legit work o na wetin you talk"

This is one of the statements that address the deeds of the youths. Here, cybercrime (the current and most common of the crimes among Nigerian youths) is addressed. The lexical choice of the word 'burst' helps to describe the forceful manner of approach used by law enforcement agents in apprehending suspected criminals. The addressees not appearing in club here is impliedly the aftermath of the busting by the EFCC. It could also be the attempt of the addressee trying to live a low-key life or to avoid the sight of the eagle (EFCC's logo).

VERSE 2
This verse addresses the issues of welfare of the workers and youth. The epileptic payment of salaries and salary arrears are described in the statement

"Month don end, Oga pay salary" decried as well.
"In 2019 19,800 allawee"

Here is an attempt to comment against the chicken feed monthly allowance paid graduate-youths serving their fatherland. This is part of the reasons why some individuals have been of the opinion that the scheme should be scrapped.

"Instead make you work,you dey find Alhaji"

Typical of Falzs satirical language, this is a comment against the 'Oloshoism' act of the female youths which is euphemistically referred to as channeling their sexual desires towards profit making. This could be linked to the ridiculous amount being paid in the previous statement. Also, the lexical voice of 'alhaji' is to represent the old and wealthy individuals who are partners in the Oloshoim business.