Michigan born singer/songwriter and producer Mike Posner has made a name for himself with authentic lyrics and an eclectic, authentic soul voice. Working with and producing for big names the likes of Justin Bieber, Big Sean, J Cole and Twista has only done more to boost his profile. Posner has recently teamed up with Reebok for the spring launch of their “It Takes a Lot To Make a Classic” line. Wonderland caught up with the man while he was in London.

Tell us a little bit about the collaboration – what exactly is it that you’ve been asked to do?

Nothing that I don’t already do. I endorse the shoe that I like and I already wear, so it’s a pretty good deal for me. But on a more serious note, my job is to align my journey with Reebok’s journey… and help them tell the story of their sneaker, and simultaneously they’re helping me tell my story.

Part of your story is that you were studying at university while making music – graduating with a record deal. Was that something that was difficult to juggle?

It was difficult but maybe not as difficult as it might seem, because I love music so much. So it doesn’t really matter if I’m making 100 million dollars or zero dollars… I’ll always find time to make music.

People generally have a brand of shoe that they gravitate towards – have you always been a Reebok fan? What inspired you to get involved?

I’ve always been a fan of Reebok. My favourite basketball player when I was a kid was Alan Iverson… so I used to have the ‘questions’ and the ‘answer 4s’ and the ‘answer 5s’ when I was a kid. So it’s really an honour for me to be involved with the brand that one of my heroes wears.

What do you think Reebok are looking for in terms of brand ambassadors?

Me! Somebody that makes big music but has a degree of authenticity attached to it. So something that is going to last a long time. Their slogan is “it takes a lot to make a classic” – so they’re looking for artists that understand that.

Your sophomore album “Sky High” is set to drop soon. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

[It’s] really exciting. I’ve been in the studio with Big Sean who’s on the album, J Cole, Pharrell Williams, Diplo… it’s just the best music that I’ve made in my life so far so… it’s exciting for me.

Can you tell us a bit about what kind of topics you touch on in the album?

It’s no different from any of my other music in that I’ll be dealing with what I see in real life and what I’m inspired by. It’s kind of why I’ve made it here… it’s because I’ve kind of approached my music the same way a rapper would… like if I haven’t lived it, I don’t talk about it. So the things I’ve lived have changed a little bit over the last few years but my approach in that respect has not.

What advice do you have for those who are trying to get into the industry?

Just be yourself. A lot of people worry about sounding like what’s out now or sounding like another artist… and that’s actually like the worst path you can go down possible. The best way is to be as original as possible.

Reebok Classic RealFlex is available exclusively at Footlocker throughout Europe
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Mike Posner
Words: Alya Mooro