QUOTES by MNEK
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I didn't always see someone that I could relate to, that would tell me that being Black and gay is okay.
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I am empowered by my friends in the music industry who are other fellow black men because I see them as my brothers; we have similar experiences and relate to each other.
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For me personally, I've always tried to exude positivity and I feel that it's important for all types of experiences of black men to be seen.
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I think every song I do is specifically tailored to what I would say and how I approach situations.
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I was someone who knew what they wanted to do for so long. I was always fascinated by music, always a student of pop.
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This constant feeling of, 'I have to have everything figured out' is not going to get anyone anywhere.
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The perspective that I come from when I sing, when I perform, is of who I am as a black gay man.
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I think 'Girlfriend' in particular is definitely one of the songs that is angled towards early 2000s, late '90s, R&B pop and those kinds of songs that were prevalent in that time. I don't think I was conscious of those songs in particular, but I'd say I definitely wanted a song that had that kind of vibe era wise in tone and all the writing.
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I signed my first publishing deal when I was 14, and it was from two records I put on MySpace.
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If I'm writing a song for Karen Harding, I know I can't impose what I want to say onto her. I literally have to get into her headspace and think, 'what does she want to say?' When it comes to my stuff, it's the same. What can I write that's true to me?
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When I'm doing a session for another artist, it's a very scheduled thing, and it's kind of imperative that I write a song in that time. But if I'm trying to write a song for myself and I don't have an idea that day, I just can't force it.
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We have a lot of black British men who are killing it: John Boyega, Stormzy, Anthony Joshua, Tinie Tempah, and Idris Elba, of course. I see them as people I really admire and that's empowering for me because it means I am not alone in this.
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'Correct' is a song and an exercise for me where I've been able to reclaim who I am and the good that I've done when in real life sometimes I struggle with that.
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In reality, my parents knew that I was a vegetable outside of music. They have fears, they know how tough and competitive it is, but they're happy that there are a lot of people backing me.
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The industry has always been accepting of gay artists, but a particular thing for me is to see gay artists of color.
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'Tongue' is literally just one piece of the puzzle. This album is something I've worked on over the course of my entire career and something I've been discovering myself in it.
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I've been in situations where someone has told me that my video made them uncomfortable. This was a straight man, and I really don't want to have to worry about making him uncomfortable. I should really be worrying about my own comfort and me putting out the best art that I can.
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I myself identify as British-Nigerian, and I'm also gay, and I'm also a young adult in London making music. All of things can co-exist as one.
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That's the thing about creating. When you create, you create your own thing, whatever that is. It's always going to seep through in whatever you do.
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The way Beyonce works, the song is a jigsaw piece and then she will piece various elements.
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I hated my early videos. I really did. I hated 'The Rhythm.' Hated it. It's not my vibe to have lot of white people jumping on trampolines.
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I think that there's not always been queer person of color representation in pop and so I'm making the most of it because that is who I am.
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Having the opportunity to work with someone like Beyonce is definitely going to hopefully open a few doors.
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I think the stereotypes many black men are put under, even in the entertainment world, can sometimes have a dark or negative undertone.
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A lot of the time the K-pop fans are pleasant and enthusiastic and they really credit everyone who has been a part of their favorite artists' records.
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When I first came out, I was wearing full-on traditional Nigerian wear. I got told by a lot of people that I should just tone it down. I only stopped when I realized there's only so many prints you can wear.
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I want more people to know who I am and I want to have the chance to tease my music a bit more.
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I had to have experience, you know what I mean? Because I've been doing this since I was 14... I couldn't write about anything at 14. I had to live some life. I definitely lived some life.
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