The rising Neo soul star, who lives in Birmingham but is from Leicester, has revealed the unlikely influence in the Sheffield-born singer and his pronunciation of words, particularly on the track 'Mardy Bum'.
In an interview with The Times newspaper, Mahalia said: “It was the way he said words.
“I loved 'Mardy Bum' because I would say ‘mardy’ rather than ‘moody’ when I went to school in Birmingham and nobody could understand me.”
The 'Simmer' singer releases her debut album, 'Love and Compromise' on September 6, and says she wanted to make songs that are suitable for impressionable teenagers as she feels strongly that artists have a responsibility to their audience.
She explained: “I’m trying to put out songs that I’d be happy for my baby cousin to hear.
“I’m not naive to the fact that girls of 15 know a lot more than their parents think they do, but I want to get a good message out to that lot because at their age songs can have a massive impact.
"India Arie had one called 'I Am Not My Hair,' which meant so much to me because I lived in a predominantly white area and I was always confused about how my hair looked.
"If you decide to do this, you should accept that you have a duty to your audience.”
