I’ve always been interested in gaming, growing up as a kid. I played games all my life. So once I got into the music industry and I was successful with my music, I always wanted to get into the gaming world.
I didn’t expect to have music as my main thing. I always thought I was going to be a lawyer. When I graduated, I was doing really well with my music in Malaysia. I had stable income, and I had really good momentum in the music industry, so I had to make a decision whether to stop that and continue being a lawyer.
One of the most harmful things in the music industry is ‘record-by-committee,’ where 10 people from the label gather around, and they make you write a 100 songs and decide which one’s a hit. That takes the inspiration out of it.
I’ve grown so much in the music industry. From ‘GoldenHeart,’ it was just about me and the music and me in this dream. With ‘BlackHeart,’ its more about me and who I am and what role I play in my own life and in the business.
Coming into the music industry, even when I was a kid, one thing I learned is timing is everything. You being prepared is everything.
I did something that’s a no-no in the music industry. I cut my hair. For years, my hair was my stamp. ‘Oh, that’s the long-haired guy from the Black Eyed Peas.’ But when I did it, it was like a breath of fresh air.
The music industry wants safe rock stars, people who are totally homogenised.
