Why did I, after years of being active as an R&B singer, suddenly start calling myself an “MPC Singer”?
*For those who may not know, the MPC is a music production instrument developed by Akai Professional that combines a sampler, sequencer, and pad controller.*
There were many reasons behind this decision.
After thinking about it—and worrying about it—a lot, I finally arrived at an answer.
Even though I couldn’t fully explain why at first, I intuitively felt, “This could work.”
Until now, I haven’t shared much about my feelings or the story behind my journey as an artist.
So I’d like to use this blog as an opportunity to talk a little about what has brought me here and where I hope to go next.
#1 It Wasn’t Just “I Want to Sing”
I’m grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to create so many songs through collaborations with different people.
There’s music that can only be created with someone else—ideas born from the atmosphere of a particular moment, and expressions I never would have discovered on my own.
I’ve genuinely enjoyed those experiences, and each one has been important to me and helped me grow as an artist. Of course, I haven’t stopped collaborating, and I don’t plan to.
But as I continued making music, I realized something.
It’s not that I just want to sing.
I love the beat behind the vocals too—especially the drums and bass.
I wanted to become more deeply involved in creating my own music and be more intentional about the sounds and style I wanted to make.
And that desire kept growing stronger.
#2 Even If I Can’t Sing One Day, I Still Want to Make Music
About seven years ago, I went through a period when I lost my voice.
That experience made me realize that maybe, one day, I might not be able to sing anymore.
But even if that happened, I would still want to make music.
I think I had been searching for another way to express myself—something beyond my voice that I could create with and bring onstage with me.
Then inspiration came from somewhere unexpected.
In 2025, thanks to someone I knew, I had the opportunity to watch the DMC DJ World Championship.
To be honest, I didn’t know much about DJing at all.
But when I saw the performances for the first time, I was completely captivated.
Watching the DJs transform music into something uniquely their own, seeing the energy of the crowd from all over the world, and witnessing performers move almost as if they had become one with their equipment—it left a huge impression on me.
Even now, I can still picture that moment vividly.
For the first time in a long time, I remember thinking:
“I want to do something like that too.”
#3 Then It Hit Me
At the time, though, I couldn’t really picture myself combining DJing with singing.
What I was looking for was something that would allow me to make my own music, perform by myself, and still combine it naturally with singing.
I had this vague idea in my head, but I didn’t know exactly what it looked like yet.
Then one day, I came across a video on social media of an artist named Jacob E Evans singing while playing the drums.
I thought what he was doing was so cool.
And suddenly I thought:
“Wait—this might be it.”
That’s when the MPC came to mind.
I could make my own music.
I could perform on my own.
And I could combine it with singing.
More than anything, the MPC was something I had always thought was cool—but also something I had convinced myself I probably couldn’t do.
So I decided that now was the time to challenge myself.
#4 Starting a New Challenge at 30
That said, honestly, I was scared of buying the equipment only to find out that I was hopeless at it.
So I decided to start by taking MPC lessons.
(Thank you so much for accepting a complete beginner like me!)
After getting some advice, I finally took the plunge and bought an MPC Live III.
That was in December 2025.
From there, I started waking up at 6 a.m. every morning to practice before going to work.
At first, I had no idea what I was doing.
But I kept practicing with my MPC every day.
I’m not someone who picks things up especially quickly, so at first, I simply practiced quietly for about six months without telling anyone.
There were days when I’d spend hours searching for how to use a certain feature and still couldn’t figure it out.
(Then I’d ask about it in my next lesson and solve it in about 30 seconds. Haha.)
Even now, there’s still so much I want to improve.
But I also know that the day when I feel “completely ready” will probably never come.
So I decided I’d figure things out as I went.
I started posting videos in June 2026, and in September, I officially began calling myself an “MPC Singer.”
I’m 30 years old now.
And I started learning the MPC at 30.
I’m only just getting started, and I’m still figuring things out through trial and error, with a lot of support from the people around me.
How far can I go from here?
I don’t know yet.
But I’m excited to find out.
And I’d be really happy if you followed along to see where this journey takes me.
NENE
