THE award-winning British DJ and producer Naughty Boy has said that music “saved” him during lockdown and has called for more “special protections” for the industry.
In his opinion, music has a “power” that can help people more intimately than some relationships – as it aids wellbeing both “mentally and spiritually”. He says that his biggest struggle during lockdown was “living with my mum who has dementia”.
“As a family (dementia) can seem like a lonely experience… you don’t think anyone will understand. It does affect your mental health.
Especially as Asians, everything is very closed (private)… you don’t really speak about what’s going on in the family… mum’s at the point where we don’t know what she’s going to say,” he says.
Born Shahid Khan, Naughty Boy’s journey to becoming one of the most sought-after names in the music industry can surely be considered one for the movies.
For the double MOBO-award winner – who has produced songs for the likes of Beyonce, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith – the most difficult experience with his mother was when she recently failed to recognise the 36-year-old.
Khan says during this testing period, it was the “power of music” that helped his mother cope with the change in routine.
“I’m so proud to announce that I’m an ambassador of Dementia UK and I hope that I can use my profile to raise awareness of the cause and the charity.
“With my mum’s ever-changing condition and the pressures this places on the wider family, I understand how beneficial an Admiral Nurse would be.
“I’m learning about dementia all the time so I’m hoping that the relationship will be mutually beneficial and I’ll be able to find out more from the amazing Admiral Nurses at the charity, so that I can provide my mum with the best care possible.
“In fact, I have already called Dementia UK’s Helpline which I know will continue to be a vital source of support for me as my mum’s condition develops.”
Dementia UK is a charity provides specialist dementia support for families through its Admiral Nurse service.
Growing up in a council estate, music was always what he wanted to do. But the dream was far from realistic, as money was tight during those times.
The son of a taxi driver from Pakistan, Khan was unable to get the kind of music lessons he wanted because of financial difficulties.
But that did not stop him. He taught himself to play the piano and learned how to produce music on a home computer. Growing up, Bollywood was also a huge inspiration. When his parents went on shopping trips to Southall or Luton, Khan would often pick up cassettes featuring Bollywood music, which remains his favourite genre to this day.
Khan, however, gave up on the idea of a music course as he knew his parents wouldn’t approve. He enrolled for a business degree at London Metropolitan University, but dropped out as his heart was in music.
With a £5,000 grant from the Prince’s Trust, and the £44,000 he won on daytime television game show Deal Or No Deal, Khan kick started his career in music.
He set up a studio in his parents’ garden shed, and started working with unknown artists who went on to become stars on their own right. His most popular find was Emeli Sande, a Scottish medical student, whom he met by chance. But that meeting resulted in a number of hits.
Khan’s first major work was his songwriting and production for Chipmunk’s Diamond Rings that reached the Top Ten in UK in 2009.
The song featured Sande and the duo went on to collaborate for a number of hits. Khan also worked extensively on Sandé’s breakthrough 2012 album.
His mainstream breakthrough was in 2013 with La La La featuring Sam Smith. The track became a global hit, and its success set the stage for the release of Hotel Cabana, Khan’s guest-loaded debut album for Virgin.
Khan has been in the industry for a decade now, and he describes his journey as the “best rollercoaster ever.” But there is one unfulfilled musical ambition, and that is to compose a James Bond theme.
