Nico and Vinz have experienced significant changes since their single "Am I Wrong" went to number 1 worldwide, including increased traveling, meeting new people, and working harder. However, they have not changed as people and still hold the same values and morals. The two have come a long way in their five years together, performing for President Obama, and believe that with hard work and belief in yourself, anything is possible regardless of where one comes from. Their new album "Black Star Elephant" draws on their African roots, with "Black Star" representing Ghana and "Elephant" representing Ivory Coast, the home countries of Vinz and Nico's mother respectively. The album tells their story through the conceptual character

1. SHOOT CELEBRITYFAN
HOW’S LIFE CHANGED FOR YOU
BOTH SINCE YOUR SINGLE ‘AM
I WRONG’ WENT TO NUMBER 1
WORLDWIDE?
Nico: “It’s changed a lot, but it hasn’t
changed us as people. It’s changed
in travelling, meeting new people
and working harder, but then again
we are still the same two people. We
hold the same values and morals but
life has definitely changed.”
WHAT’S THE JOURNEY BEEN LIKE
FOR YOU SINCE YOU FIRST GOT
TOGETHER FIVE YEARS AGO?
Nico: “It’s been good. I mean
we’ve just performed for President
Obama, and overall we have been
working really hard within believing
in ourselves and following the
knowledge that whatever you set your
mind to, and whatever you believe in,
it is possible; no matter where you
HOW EXCITED ARE YOU ABOUT
YOUR NEW SINGLE?
Vinz: “Very. The first single was a hit
and to have the second single receive
such positive blessing is great. We
have to see how it goes down with the
rest of our fans now.”
VINZ SUPPORTS MAN UNITED
AND NICO SUPPORTS CHELSEA.
WHY THOSE TEAMS?
Nico: “I was a fan of Didier Drogba,
and when he came to Chelsea I
started supporting them. I was a
huge fan of him because he was from
the Ivory Coast too; I owe it to him but
I’ve stayed with them ever since.”
Vinz: “For me it was ever since the
days of Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke
played. I just fell in love with the club.”
YOU BOTH GREW UP IN
NORWAY SO WHEN DID YOU
FIRST GET INTO FOOTBALL?
Nico: “I started playing football when
I was five years old, growing up in
Norway and played until I was 21.
I still follow the sport of course but
don’t have time to play it.”
Vinz: “I played also, like five or six,
then when I was 15 I stopped taking
it seriously and played until I was 19.
I’ve played football for most of my life.”
CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT
THE NEW ALBUM ‘BLACK STAR
ELEPHANT’?
Nico: The album is called ‘Black Star
Elephant’ because of Vinz’s heritage
with Ghana and my mother being
from Ivory Coast. In Ghana they call
themselves the Black Stars, and in
Ivory Coast they call themselves the
Elephants, so we created a character
called the Black Star Elephant. So it
all comes from our African roots.”
Vinz: “Basically, we tell our story
through him and it is a conceptual
album where we’re talking about
everything he goes through in life,
similar to us two.”
come from, no matter where you
start from.”
Vinz: “I mean we are two guys from
Norway now big in America, and this
is what we’ve been dreaming about.”
DECEMBER 2014 SHOOT 39