A New York City resident for almost 13 years, John Legend remembers a time when he wasn’t in the “green light.” Being the ambitious young man he is, entering high school at 12 and enrolling into college at 16 was not out of the ordinary.
This University of Pennsylvania college grad worked in the hustle and bustle of corporate America during the day and unwound at night by singing at gigs along the way. In 2002, his cousin, a friend of Kanye West, arranged for the two to meet and naturally, the rest was history.
When not in the spotlight with fiancee Chrissy Teigen, Legend continues to make beautiful music that soothes our soul and touches our heart.
In the newest issue of Uptown Magazine, John Legend opens up about his love life, true feelings on being famous, and which R&B artists he is currently bumping to.
Check out the full interview here.
On his love for Chrissy:
We got engaged in 2011 and we are getting married later this year. I am looking forward to having kids and growing old together. That’s why we are doing it, because we intend to stay together forever. We have already been together for quite some time. It’s been great. I have learned a lot about myself, and hopefully we will continue to grow.
On living the famous life:
Traveling the world, getting the acclaim and love from the fans. I enjoy it. It’s nice to get a reservation at a great restaurant at the last minute. You can get into any club that you want to get into and have the red carpet rolled out for you. Everyone loves to be treated [like they are] special. Fame earns you that privilege. Of course, you lose things as well. But the good outweighs the bad.
On which R&B artist he’s rocking to:
I work with Frank and really like what Miguel and Pharrell are doing. I am competitive, ambitious, and I always want to continue to be better and grow. There is room for me to grow artistically and reach more people. There is no shortage of motivation for me to keep pushing. I am not trying to defeat anyone in the business; I am just trying to be the best. It’s like golf. Tiger Woods’ job is not to beat anyone else, it’s for him to be the best that he can be and if he is, he will win. I have already assumed some pressure taking the name John Legend. I have something to live up to. Frank, [producer] Hit-Boy and Kanye all push me to be the best I can be.
On family life:
I am a little closer to my father because we lived with him after my parents got divorced. I am close to my mother as well.
We still have issues dealing with that in our family. Both of our parents are still in all of our lives, but it’s still complicated dealing with divorce. Obviously, I am not the only one dealing with that. It was one of the most difficult things to deal with as a kid, and some of the aftereffects I am still dealing with now. It’s something that I have had to work through.
