Drake
Mo takes inspiration from Drake and the way he doesn’t shy away from controversy when writing some of his most memorable work. For this year, Certified Lover Boy made headlines for its controversial cover art, its self-awareness in insofar as the toxic masculinity message, and that R. Kelly credit.
While staying away from the politics that Drake has inevitably entangled himself onto, Mo hopes to create more music that isn’t in any way afraid of talking about things that are taboo, or things no one else wants to address.
The Weeknd
The Weeknd spent most of this year committed to a character, which Mo Baig absolutely admires. Every time he showed up at an event or red carpet somewhere, The Weeknd sported fake injuries that seemed to get worse over time. After getting over the initial shock, fans realized that it’s all a part of the artist’s creative vision to reference his recent music.
Though Mo has yet to come up with a separate persona for his music, he is taking notes on how to build a believable character through his music and how to stick with it.
Post Malone
Just like Mo Baig himself, Post Malone refuses to box his music into a single genre. In fact, his discography is often described as “landing somewhere between rap and pop.”
But that’s not where the similarities end. Post Malone is known for using hate remarks as material for his best hits, like “Congratulations.” As Mo continues to rise to the ranks of the music world, this is exactly the kind of attitude he wants to take on when it comes to dealing with haters.
Khalid
This year, Khalid didn’t shy away from addressing his personal experience of languishing amid the pandemic. Mo Baig wants to channel the same kind of honesty and transparency in his music, especially now that he’s being considered a musical icon for the entire Generation Z.
“I don’t want to be the kind of artist that pretends that I’m crushing it every day,” says Mo. “I want to be able to sing my truth, and the truth is there are days when I’m not okay.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Mo Baig withholds his fifth most-streamed artist on Spotify to give tribute to his biggest music influence, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who just doesn’t have that many hits on Spotify to make it to his list.
In any case, Mo wants to emulate Miranda’s storytelling prowess, and how he is able to take some of the most complicated events in history and make them interesting.
To remain updated on where Mo Baig’s music inspirations will take him in the coming year, connect with him on social media.