On-stage, I definitely want to use my real self because I'm singing to people who believe in what I'm singing, and I believe in what I'm singing, but they shouldn't be fooled because we all have fake selves and it's in there somewhere. It's not pretending to hurt somebody; it's just something that comes out of me, from my experience.

Benjamin Clementine

Categorized in : Believe Hurt Real

The real self is who you are when you're at home, when you're comfortable, and the false self is what you're pretending - and the reason you pretend is because you want to create a character for the surroundings you're within.

Benjamin Clementine

real home character

We're all competent in different ways, we've just got to find a way to push ourselves up more.

Benjamin Clementine

different-ways different way

Some people will never be able to get their real self, but that's fine, because their fake self is also part of them.

Benjamin Clementine

real self people

I'm from a middle class family but my father squandered all the money, so I didn't really run around with rich people. I was very judgmental towards a lot of them.

Benjamin Clementine

class running father

You can't judge people by their cover.

Benjamin Clementine

judging people

I'm not dismissing prostitutes, but a lot has changed. This so-called gentrification, it can never be stopped.

Benjamin Clementine

gentrification changed

Poetry itself is music. I'm just lucky that I can convert it into music.

Benjamin Clementine

i-can lucky

I felt like I was homeless anyway, so the change in environment wasn't that much of a big deal. I felt pretty much the same. After six months of living on the streets [in Camden], I started singing, busking.

Benjamin Clementine

singing six months

Obviously you live life for yourself and have your choice to believe what you want to believe in, but I know that the Bible can be used to appreciate life.

Benjamin Clementine

live-life appreciate believe

I think it is all about creating characters, mixing them up with the stars and the light-years, and coming back to Earth, because we're from this universe. We're not just New York or London; we're stars.

Benjamin Clementine

stars new-york character

When I started singing about my life and what I was going through, I felt more confident. It was my own life, I was being myself, I was telling people what was happening.

Benjamin Clementine

being-myself singing people

Some people are saying that my music is not for Burberry, it's not for fashion. I know where they're trying to go but if you're saying my music is only for deprived and sad people, then you're not helping me and you're not helping yourself. It's meant to be for everyone.

Benjamin Clementine

fashion trying people

That's how I always try to start my thoughts. I write them down first, eventually it turns into a poem, and if I feel like composing something to it, then I do that.

Benjamin Clementine

writing trying firsts

Happiness is overrated and money can't justify it.

Benjamin Clementine

overrated justify

I have met a few people, who are so respected in the fashion industry and all around the world, and are still very humble. People who have it all but act like they only just started, it's beautiful. This is what I want to be.

Benjamin Clementine

fashion humble beautiful

We have the real self and the false self, there's nothing wrong with them, and everyone has both of them.

Benjamin Clementine

real-self real self

When you look at the media and television, and all this Hollywood stuff, you just judge people.

Benjamin Clementine

media judging people

I was very rebellious, but my family was strict Christians - they would ask us, "What's the shortest verse in the Bible?" and I was the one who always said "John 11:35" straightaway. It stayed with me, the Bible has stayed with me.

Benjamin Clementine

rebellious my-family christian

People take things too literal in the Bible and it's totally wrong.

Benjamin Clementine

literal people

[My music] is opposite to fashion.

Benjamin Clementine

music-is fashion opposites