Zayn Malik may be a little kid with grown-up tattoos on his arms for his Mind of Mine album cover, but that doesn't mean he wants to be the next Lil Wayne. After being accused by fans and haters for copying the Tha Carter III artwork, Zayn fired back on Twitter, saying he isn't trying to be anybody but himself.
The coincidences between Zayn's Mind of Mine artwork and Lil Wayne's Tha Carter artwork are rather apparent. Both records feature smiling childhood photos, with prominent tattoos showing off a dichotomy of self. But, according to Zayn, the coincidences end there, and his "ideas have been with me a long time."
I'm not tryna be no rapper , my album is me a child .. My ideas have been with me a long time,
— zayn (@zaynmalik) February 19, 2016
Use your brain, appreciate art don't discriminate what you don't understand — zayn (@zaynmalik) February 19, 2016
And though Zayn claimed that he didn't want to be a rapper with his Mind of Mine artwork, he did retweet a fan who cited Drake, Nas and Notorous B.I.G. as also incorporating childhood photos in their artwork.
@zaynmalik true. a lot of artists use it for their own reasons https://t.co/tRziU4GpQ6
— cerise (@zaynhealy) February 19, 2016
Despite the controversy over the Mind of Mine artwork, Zayn is still continuing promo. While his debut single "Pillowtalk" continues to make waves, he premiered a new song earlier this week on The Tonight Show, the love ballad "It's You."
Mind of Mine will be released on March 25.
