British-born Nigerian singer and songwriter MNEK landed one of the six coveted special award edition covers of Attitude magazine to celebrate 2016 Attitude Awards.
The 21-year-old Grammy-nominated talented artist, real name Uzoechi Emenike has been named as Attitude’s ‘Breakthrough Award’ winner, having written his first record for The Saturday’s at the age of 15 and contributed to Beyoncé’s earth-shattering album Lemonade.
In the interview, he described coming out to his Nigerian parents as a work in progress admitting that while it was tough, his parents have been supportive.
“It is always quite tough when it comes to talking to your family about it and being like, ‘OK, so I am gay’. My parents are supportive. Of course, it’s still a work in progress. They’ll say, ‘it’s just a phase, it’s just something he’s going through right now’. You never really know the best way to make them understand, so you just have to live your life anyway.”
Apart from Beyoncé, MNEK has also written hits for Madonna as well as dominating the charts with his own songs, Never Forget You and Ready For Your Love. The rising star also shared his experience on working with Beyoncé.
“She is really sweet and really cool, she was really conversational. She was also really sharp. She is that kind of person, she is sassy and sweet, but then she can come out with something really quick as well.”
MNEK is one of the few openly gay black British celebrities wants to be the role model he never saw growing up in south London.
“I want to be what I didn’t see on TV and I want to inspire. Not to say that it means you have to be this pristine image. I’m a mess and I enjoy being a mess, and I enjoy being publicly a mess, too, so I don’t want to have to be this role model, but more so just if you see yourself in me then that’s really great because I never saw myself in anyone.”
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.