BLKLISTED x WAHALA

 

Discover BLKlisted, a collection of intricate and fierce Instant Nails curated by award-winning singer/songwriter Ray BLK to empower you to express yourself - echoing the gripping and fearless new novel, Wahala, by debut author Nikki May.

 

Wahala is an explosive story of female friendship, jealousy and revenge, and it’s one of the most talked about debuts. Read more about the hit novel here.

To celebrate our collaboration, we sat down with Ray and Nikki to chat about their influences and inspirations…

Ray ⁃ I’d love to be able to be a music critic! I’ve always been an avid reader and have a degree in English literature. I enjoy reading music reviews so combining my two favourite things would be perfect!

Nikki - I would love to be a restaurant reviewer!  Travelling around the world, eating at wonderful restaurants and writing about it, sounds like heaven to me.

Ray ⁃ ‘All About Love’ by Bell Hooks. That book changed my life!

Nikki – ‘Station Eleven’ by Emily St. John Mandel. It's perfection in book form, I've read it five times, so far.

Ray ⁃ there’s no way I could pick one song… but my favourite album is ‘Voodoo’ by D’Angelo. 

Nikki – ‘Sign o’ the Times’ by Prince (but if you ask me tomorrow, I'd probably have a different answer).

Ray ⁃ Kendrick Lamar, Amy Winehouse, D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Mary J Blige. 

Nikki - Fela Kuti, Elvis Presley, Ben Howard, Prince, TLC.

Ray ⁃  I’d love to be omnipresent! To be able to be in so many places at once. The hard worker and people pleaser in me wants to be able to do everything every time.

Nikki - I'd like to be able to eat anything I want and not put on weight!

Ray ⁃ Seeing people experience injustice where they can’t be vindicated. It’s such a frustrating feeling when you feel helpless and feel like there’s no solution. It breaks my heart to watch things like that, whether it’s real life or just in a movie. 

Nikki - Being tired. When I'm shattered, the slightest thing can tip me over the edge.

Ray - My Wife and Kids, Girlfriends, House of Cards, Line of Duty, The Devil Wears Prada 

Nikki - Below Deck, Come Dine with Me, A Star is Born (the Barbra Streisand one), The Night Manager and Jurassic Park (the first one).

Ray - I was a ‘pavement sales operative’. That’s a very fancy name for a charity street campaigner. It was horrible, because people are so rude to you. Some of them come up to you specifically to tell you they hate you and the work you do! Not to mention it’s really cold standing in the street all day! 

Nikki - I was a temp at a London Estate agent for a week – I had to make sure nobody got parking fines which meant moving cars all day long, it was so stressful!

Ray - I run a bath, listen to relaxing music and have a glass of wine and write in my journal. It really helps me unwind and let out the thoughts that are stuck in my head.

Nikki - A long dog walk. It never fails to lift my soul. 

Ray - turning my talent into a career by working hard and succeeding, creating a good life for myself. 

Nikki - Getting published!

Ray - Thinking of situations in hindsight that I didn’t handle the way I would have liked to. I desperately want to go back in time so I can say or do everything right.

Nikki - Worrying about Book 2!