Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I love Usher's 'Confessions.'
I'm a massive Mariah Carey fan.
My real name is Uzoechi Emenike.
I've always liked discovering things.
Schoolwork was always suffering! I hated school!
I'm not really into beer, but I like tequila shots.
Music is so transient. You've just got to move with it.
I had so much fun working with the queens on 'Drag Race U.K!'
I started making beats when I was nine in my bedroom and garage.
When it comes to me and alcohol, I have special drinks everywhere.
I really love being an artist, but I make my money from songwriting.
Everyone's journey as a gay man or woman is different; it's personal.
Girls Generation, I love their Teddy Riley-produced track 'The Boys.'
I think anyone can actually sing. It's the mindset. Singing is imitation.
I'm a musician, and I'm not interested in being in the Houses of Parliament.
If you go to America, so many club nights finish at 1 A. M. and it's so lame.
Some of white middle America haven't seen a black gay guy in a music video before.
A lot of dance producers aren't really musical, they don't care much about detail.
I love writing and producing but I don't think a lot of people know my artist stuff.
My visual medium is my videos, and I've got to feel as though I can put my truth in that.
One of my best friends is quite into rap, and I'm always being introduced to music by him.
The way Beyonce works, the song is a jigsaw piece and then she will piece various elements.
There's always so much stuff to do. I work best when my diary just says 'MNEK, MNEK, MNEK.'
I signed my first publishing deal when I was 14, and it was from two records I put on MySpace.
I lost a lot of weight. No carbs for a good six or seven months. It was tough but I looked hot.
I want more people to know who I am and I want to have the chance to tease my music a bit more.
I understand, as an artist as well as a producer, the need for there to be mystery and surprise.
I think every song I do is specifically tailored to what I would say and how I approach situations.
This constant feeling of, 'I have to have everything figured out' is not going to get anyone anywhere.
Having the opportunity to work with someone like Beyonce is definitely going to hopefully open a few doors.
I almost get quite scared talking about it. It's happened, obviously. I did meet Madonna and I did work with her.
I was someone who knew what they wanted to do for so long. I was always fascinated by music, always a student of pop.
I naturally make commercial music: it's never been a calculated decision to make pop music. I'm a genuine pop music fan.
If I'm writing a tune with someone I'm making sure it's what they wanna say and it's articulating what they have to share.
I think there's so many amazing LGBTQ artists, ranging from commercial to underground, that are influencing people at large.
So the Madonna thing, I wrote a song with Diplo, she liked it, tweaked it and then made it her own and it became 'Hold Tight.'
One of my first songs I ever got a decent cut on was with a songwriter out of Xenomania, called 'All Fired Up' for the Saturdays.
I'm touching people, helping people, and I'm making music I love. I like to think a lot of other black queer artists feel that way too.
I think the stereotypes many black men are put under, even in the entertainment world, can sometimes have a dark or negative undertone.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I don't think there's been many chances for people to see a black, gay, pop experience and that's what I want to have with my shows moving forward.
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.
When I wrote 'Paradise,' it was going to be an interlude - like a segue from the song before. Then I just added more to it because everyone loved it.
I'm very conscious that a music video is beyond just a promotional tool for a song. It takes a song to the next level and it gives a song a new life.
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.
I started out writing and producing as a way for me to get the confidence to put out my own record and to learn and to really be a student of the industry.
The thing about Auto-Tune is it can't fix everyone. It only fixes pitch. Everything else - the emotion and the attack and the energy? That's what a singer is.