Written By: Alisyn Re
Journalist
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa- He knew he wanted to do something for the world. As a result, Mr. Boy decided to move to America to explore what he could make of his talents. Being a bright light in this dark world Mr. Boy found himself through poetry, acting, and composing.
Who is Mr. Boy?
“That is the hardest question you could ever ask anyone. But, I would say that Mr. Boy is a figment of the world’s imagination. This is what happens when you plant so many parts of the earth that we live on into one thing. Mr. Boy is undefined because I haven’t even really defined who I am as a person when it comes to what I do.”
What drew you to poetry?
“I have a love and hate relationship with words. Words can do some much damage. If you look at the history of the world, depending on what you believe in, everything started with words. It started with some sort of phrase or just a set of words. Someone had to say something for all of this stuff to happen. The idea is that I’m able to use words, more specific words in English, and bend them to my will. The fact that I can write something down and it may mean something different to you than it did myself or another person. It’s such a beautiful concept to me. I got into poetry with the idea that I could see the words that meant something to me could mean something more.”
Growing into yourself, did you discover poetry was something you wanted to pursue?
“No, at first I wanted to be an aerospace engineer. But that dream died very fast, you wouldn’t believe it. I didn’t know that I wanted to pursue this but inevitably it followed me until I reached the point where I couldn’t escape it. Once I realized that words were going to keep building in my mind, I had to let them go. I didn’t want to get older and have all these words in my head to the point where I couldn’t have an outlet.”
Who’s your biggest inspiration?
“I wouldn’t say that I have particular people that are my “biggest inspirations”. I’m more so inspired by pieces of art from others. I’m inspired by the earth and everything on it. One piece of art that I’m inspired by would be Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”. You get pieces of work that only come once in a lifetime, that piece of work is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I love work that’s able to make the entire world stop and look in one direction. I hope someday that my work will do the same. My work has never really been about me or monetary success, although it is great, it’s more so about creating something that we could get a large number of people to turn their heads to.”
What’s the best advice that you’ve been given when it comes to writing?
“I remember being at a gas station when I saw this homeless man and I just stopped to go talk to him. He told me “Don’t exist in this world from the perspective of where you are. Exist in this world from the perspective of where you could be.” Now I write from the perspective of what is possible or what my mind deems as possible in this lifetime.”
What drew you to music and composing?
“I actually accidentally got into music. I remember sitting down and reading one of the poems I had completed while strumming my guitar. It ended up sounding pretty decent, so I went and played it for someone and I got positive feedback. In fact, they told me “you need to do this more often.” Up to that point, I had never really shared my poems with anybody. I was a child actor on Sesame Street and things of that nature. The acting was the direction that I was going in at the time until I stumbled across this melody. Ever since I moved to Atlanta and have been performing these pieces it’s been amazing. I’ve been on some crazy stages with some really amazing people.”
Throughout your career, what skills have you taken into your everyday life?
“I learned that words really can heal. I feel like people are so hyper-focused on how much words can hurt but they really can heal. This world can get very dark at times and each word is like a little lit candle. When you put a whole bunch of words together, you can end up in a room filled with candles that can brighten everyone’s life. It’s taught me that words have power, not only in a bad way but in a positive way.”
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
“Writing drains me! I would describe writing as throwing up. When the words start to pile up, I know it’s there, and when you put it out it’s relieving! Throwing up is a relief but after you do, it’s super exhausting. It’s a very tiring process.”
Who’s someone that you would like to work with?
“I would love to work with Benjamin Clementine. He’s an amazing composer. Seeing him live on stage is what I want to see. But, he’s one of the artists I want to work with before I crossover in this lifetime.”
Where can we reach you or just follow you on your journey?
“You can find me on Instagram at its.mrboy.”
“In doing your work remember, that it’s never about you. Plan to be forgotten when you’re gone but plan for your work to have made a change.” - Mr. Boy
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