Grammy Winner MonoNeon’s Message to the Overlooked

Grammy-winning bassist and musician MonoNeon has an unmatched style and sound; his core message is about self-love and awareness.

MonoNeon spoke with deployment about his latest song, “Segreghetto,” and the things he’s learned from several artists, including the late Prince.

What message did you want to convey in the song “Segreghetto”?

It’s just a testament to the spirit that you have in your own community – if you’re overlooked or misunderstood. It’s one of those songs that gets you through it and overcomes it. It’s a song just for that – for anyone who’s misunderstood or overlooked in their community and has to deal with systematic situations.

What message do you send to people who feel neglected or misunderstood?

Stay on your own path, because if you try to catch up with someone else, you’re going to miss your own path. So you better carve your own path in the midst of everything you have to deal with. Be who you are. It’s easier said than done, but it’s important to be exactly who you are. When you’re on your own path, it’s easy to get carried away by other ships, so just stay focused on what you want to do.

Who are some people you admire in the music industry?

I admire Tyler, the Creator and who he is, and everyone who is here, who is completely themselves and who is successful, who breaks down walls, who breaks down doors, who does what they want to do and who doesn’t compromise. That’s what influences me and inspires me. It can be anyone, not even a musician. Anybody who is here, who is completely themselves and who is successful. That’s what matters to me.

Being around someone like Prince, what are some things you learned from him?

I know that being with Prince influenced me, even though I didn’t think about it when I was with him. But after he passed away, I realized that it was a life-changing experience to be with someone who was so high-vibrating and so in tune with where he wanted to be in the world, and was going to get there no matter what. It was just perseverance. That’s what I got from being with Prince. No matter what was going on around him, he was going to be who he was. He was going to do his job. That’s what I got from him. Just be who you are. As cliché as it sounds, that’s what I got from him. He was so high-vibrating that nothing could change his vision of where he wanted to be in the world.