He may only be 19 but Uzoechi Osisioma Emenike (MNEK for short) is certainly one of the best connected men in the UK music industry.
He has credits on songs by Rudimental and Little Mix, and scored his first number one this April on Duke Dumont and AME’s club Anthem Need U (100%).
In his downtime, he remixes hits for A-list artists including Whitney Houston, Jennifer Lopez and George Michael.
Born in Lewisham, London, he started making music in his bedroom at the age of nine, and had a publishing deal by the time he was 14.
A fan of pop production house Xenomania (Pet Shop Boys, Girls Aloud, Kylie Minogue), he got in touch with their songwriter Miranda Cooper on Facebook and ended up in their Kentish hit factory, co-writing The Saturdays’ All Fired Up.
Sharing a haircut with ‘80s hip-hoppers Kid ‘N Play, he is signed to dance collective Rudimental’s label, Black Butter.
His sultry, soulful vocals recently got an outing on the Gorgon City’s house track Ready For Your Love but MNEK, who cites Janet Jackson and Timbaland amongst his formative influences, is yet to release any material under his own name.
