Zayn Explains How Kanye West & Tupac Inspire Him in 'Complex' Cover Story
The release of Zayn Malik’s debut solo album Mind of Mine is just a few days away, and Complex Magazine just shared their cover story on the 23-year-old musician. Read some takeaways from the interview below.
Zayn wants to be real, like Kanye. “I believe that success follows authenticity. People see through fake shit. They don’t want to see that; they want a real person. That’s why Kanye is so successful. He’s speaking the truth, regardless of whomever he offends, he isn’t bothered. That’s admirable.”
While in One Direction, he felt a number of restrictions being imposed on him in terms of his image. "Mainly my beard, honestly. I wasn’t allowed to keep it. Eventually, when I got older, I rebelled against it, and decided to keep it anyway. That was just because I looked older than the rest of them. That’s one of the things that is now quite cool. I get to keep my beard. I also wanted to dye my hair when I was in the band, but I wasn’t allowed to."
Going solo, he’s enjoying being able to speak his mind and taking charge of his creative output. "In terms of me being described as the mysterious one, that was put on me as a stigma because I didn’t get the chance to speak as much. The other boys’ personalities were much more forward. They would answer the questions. I would let that happen because, like I said, I didn’t have any creative input there. I didn’t feel like I was going to say anything about it anyway. Now I get to talk about what I’m passionate about--it’s nice to have the chance to speak."
Tupac’s 1996 album All Eyez On Me is the album that had the most impact on him as an artist. "Probably Tupac’s All Eyez on Me. The songs are so real, and from a perspective of a place where somebody is not afraid to be completely 100 percent honest. He’s the first rapper to talk about the fact that his mom was a crack addict. For me, that’s courageous as fuck. He took that risk and spoke about everything in detail openly and without any shame. For me to listen to that album as I grew up, it really helped me to understand that it’s OK to be honest with your art, because people appreciate that."
For Zayn, the worst part of being a celebrity is when “you are fully glammed up and you’re sitting with a hundred lights in your face.” I’m a pretty shit celebrity all around. But when it comes to TV, that’s the worst. I hate the whole setup. When it’s interviews like this, I don’t mind. I’m just talking to a normal person. It’s when you are fully glammed up and you’re sitting with a hundred lights in your face and someone is asking you questions in front of a crowd of people--that’s when it becomes a bit strange for me.
Read Zayn’s full Complex cover story here.
