Mamadou Speaks His Truth

Who are you?

Mamadou: My name is Mamadou, and I’m 20 years old from Harlem. My family's originally from Mali, West Africa, Bamako. I consider myself a poet, songwriter and a storyteller.

Who are your inspirations?

Mamadou: I’ve always been inspired by a variety of sounds. Both of my parents are immigrants from Mali, and they instilled a love of Malian culture in me and my siblings. I grew up listening to a lot of Kora music... growing up in Harlem, exposed me to many other different types of sounds, especially indie music and hip-hop. When I think of my inspirations I always go to the Tupac's, the Nas’s, the Lauryn Hill's, you know, the poets.

What is your message, and how do you communicate it through your art?

Mamadou: In general, my message is taking the mundane things that we take for granted in our society and re-painting the picture. Through my art, I take those small moments and emphasize them, unpack them, and find the deeper meaning within them... I’m just trying to speak for kids who want to express themselves, but don't know how to overcome that hesitation.

Being the son of first-generation immigrants from Mali, do you feel like your struggle is different?

Mamadou: I've had this conversation with my mom about “the gap” in terms of how I resonate with the things going on in Mali, as well as how family members in Mali connect with the things that I'm going through here. It's very interesting because it's hard for me to weigh these issues in terms of whether things are better or worse here versus there. I think in the context of both those societies, there are certain fundamental issues that give each of them their own unique problems. There's also a gap in experience. A lot of people in my family haven't been to America, so they can't see that struggle, and it's hard for me to know what they’re going through because I haven’t spent enough time there. I can see through conversation, but it's a different vibe from when you’re there in person. So I think it's always been a gap, and it's been hard for us on both to really unpack that because it's like there's these hidden expectations and misconstrued perceptions. But I feel like that's just one of the dilemmas of being first generation.

*Mamadou’s debut album “To Stitch a Rose” is available on all streaming platforms.*

Where can people find you?

Here’s a linktree. You can also find me on Instagram @mamadouofficiall.

This interview has been condensed for web. The full interview can be found in BlueBook Magazine issue #0.