E115 - 6LACK: The Inner Work of An Artist: Healing Through Vulnerability, Creativity, and Self Care
Know Thyself
André Duqum
4.8 • 658 Ratings
🗓️ 24 September 2024
⏱️ 91 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Artist and musician 6LACK opens up about mental health, meditation, and the power of music to heal. He shares his journey of becoming the renowned rapper he is today and how by prioritizing his well-being he has evolved both inside and out.
He gives a deep look into his creative process: from overcoming creative blocks and expectations to entering a 'flow state' while creating music. He discusses how turning vulnerability into art has shaped his music, revealing the emotional depths behind his lyrics. As he explores the responsibilities of being an artist in today's world, he highlights the evolution he has undergone with each album, illustrating how they mirror his personal growth.
6LACK concludes with a poignant reflection on a life-altering accident that reshaped his perspective, leaving listeners with a powerful reminder to make every moment count.
André's Book Recommendations: https://www.knowthyself.one/books
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0:00 Intro
1:56 Being an Introspective Person
4:09 Turning Vulnerability Into Art
7:30 How 6LACK Started Writing Rhymes
10:12 Overcoming the Odds, Choosing Music, Going All In
14:40 The Responsibility of an Artist
16:33 Growing Through Each Album
20:45 Collaborating With J. Cole
24:13 Making Music to Inspire
27:08 Addressing His Mental Health After Making ‘Free 6lack’
34:00 Breaking Out of the ‘Musician’ Identity
37:32 Who He Is At His Core
40:46 Fatherhood & Integrity as a Man
44:43 Imposter Syndrome as an Artist
48:51 Creative Blocks & Committing to the Process
53:39 The Numbers Don’t Matter: Success & Expectations
57:08 Meditation & Daily Practices for Self Care
1:03:15 When the Song Comes Through You: The Spiritual Side of Music
1:09:05 The Realest Lyrics He’s Written: Healing Though Creativity
1:16:59 Safe Spaces for Men to Express Their Vulnerability
1:21:27 The Care Accident that Changed His Perspective
1:27:14 While You’re Here, Make It Count
1:29:39 Conclusion
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6LACK is an American R&B singer, rapper, and songwriter. Born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he gained recognition following the release of his 2016 single "Prblms", which marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. He signed with Love Renaissance, an imprint of Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, Free 6lack (2016), which was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Two years later, he released his second studio album East Atlanta Love Letter (2018), which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200. His third album, Since I Have a Lover (2023) was met with moderate critical and commercial reception.
He has received three Grammy Award nominations.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/6lack/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYRLqThkOVjysBOM6fgkqmQ
6LACK on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4IVAbR2w4JJNJDDRFP3E83?si=o8JJGIHBQNym3pGZ9_bcLQ&nd=1&dlsi=43086831413948dd
6LACk on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/6lack/1016633280
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Know Thyself
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/
Website: https://www.knowthyself.one
Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ4wglCWTJeWQC0exBalgKg
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Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/know-thyself/id1633725927
André Duqum
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | In order to do anything, you have to allow yourself to be in an uncomfortable space and not shy away from it. |
| 0:05.1 | Never had a place on my own. Never had a car. Barely had a phone. Having studio access was all I needed. Those three, four years were just trust for me. It didn't pay off, but I got better. For each album, there's always been a moment. And it goes from, like, I make songs and I like my songs to now you're in the studio and it's out of body. |
| 0:22.8 | Like, I'm just completely in a whole other world. And sometimes it feels like I'm not even like writing in those moments. Once I started to feel those types of feelings, it was like, oh no, this is really something that I could dedicate my life to. Then this could take me wherever I wanted to go. When I was with the labels that I shouldn't have been with, for them it was like, we want hits. |
| 0:39.3 | I create with the purpose of this is going to help myself, this is going to help somebody else. |
| 0:43.3 | Let's stick to that. |
| 0:44.3 | So I know it's not what's popular, but I also know that we have the power to change what's popular. |
| 0:49.3 | Yeah, you look up and you're in studio with Jay Cole or you're at a festival somewhere across the world. |
| 1:00.2 | This is the weirdest, most fun, amazing, most terrifying shit ever. |
| 1:02.3 | Like, I truly have the power to do anything. |
| 1:03.9 | And, yeah, that's a treat. |
| 1:10.6 | Hey, everyone. |
| 1:47.2 | Welcome back to Know That Self. I'm honored today to be sitting with an artist who's not only made waves in the music industry, but also I feel as a beacon of authenticity and advocate for personal growth and mental health. He is a Grammy-nominated platinum-selling artists whose streams are loved by millions of people around the globe, including myself. But beyond the billions of streams and accolades, he is somebody that I really feels on a true commitment to understanding himself, the world around him, and really using his gift and talent to uplift others. So Black, thanks for being here, bro. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah, I've been a fan of your music, man, for a while, and it's been cool to meet you just a little bit dropping it beforehand. And also, you know, hearing of you and your demeanor, like you're a very introspective guy and also very calm. And I'm just curious for you on your journey, |
| 2:02.1 | has that always been a part of you? |
| 2:03.6 | Or was there a specific moment? perspective guy and also very calm. And I'm just curious for you on your journey, has that always been a part of you? |
| 2:03.6 | Or was there a specific moment that sticks out where you realize the power of looking inwards? |
| 2:10.1 | I would say that, like, I remember very early on and maybe it doesn't come from like the most |
| 2:17.0 | positive space, but just you go through |
| 2:19.1 | childhood and you feel very innocent and very like pure and very like um filterless and then a couple |
| 2:27.1 | of things start to change whether it be uh you don't communicate with your parents as much or school |
| 2:33.0 | like the dynamic starts to change, |
| 2:35.6 | um, figuring out friends, figuring out your voice, like figuring out everything. And I think around |
| 2:40.6 | the time that communication amongst like family and friends started to minimize, um, my personality |
... |
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