Fola's path to music stardom started behind a Bet9ja counter in Ibadan.

The fast-rising singer opened up about his transformation on the Tea With Tay podcast, describing how unrecognisable his life has become since his breakthrough.

"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," he said.

His entry into music wasn't calculated. Fola said he was chasing attention from girls in high school after watching a classmate get results with rap.

"There was a guy in JSS2 that was always making music and getting girls. I wanted to do it, but I didn't know I could do it. My brother was always writing rap then, so I copied his rap and went to school the next day," he said. The performance won over his classmates and even his school proprietor.

His path to a record deal nearly took a different turn. Label boss Bella Shmurda once brought him in to meet Kizz Daniel during early deal talks, and Kizz Daniel came close to signing him before it fell through.

"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," he said.

He credited his mother's early belief in him as the foundation of that confidence, saying she told him from a young age that he'd become a star. He also said his family has been fully supportive of his music, including his father, who reached out with praise after one of his releases.

Fola said he used his first major earnings to buy his mother a piece of land in Ibadan, where she has since built a church.

The singer, known for his hit "Alone," has gone on to work with artists including Ayra Starr, Wizkid, BNXN, Zlatan, Victony and DJ Tunez.