For my first @mic cover story, I profiled @iamluckydaye. I’ve urged everyone I know to listen to “Candydrip,” a near-flawless R&B album, since it dropped in March. Though Daye’s lyrics rarely stray from themes of lust and longing, his voice is an exposed nerve, imbued with a tenderness that hints at his complicated backstory. In the time we spent together, what resonated with me most was his vulnerability — a refreshing departure, something that sets him apart, puts him in a class all his own even — from the polished swagger of his predecessors. Daye’s church days might be behind him, but he’s been creating his own religion ever since, cobbling together a coterie of like-minded creatives who live life on their own terms and understand that simply being a decent person and doing the best with the gifts you’ve got is enough to take you to the top. “I realized that the golden rule is backward,” Daye told me, pausing for a moment. “You don't treat other people as you would like to be treated — you treat them as they would like to be treated.” Read the story — The Gospel of Lucky Daye — on @mic. The link is, of course, in my bio. Credits: Photographer: @kajal.mov Executive producer: @ShanteCosme Executive producers: @spikejordan, @p.the.genius Producer: @jamiarceoo Production Designer: @jasongarofolo Stylist: @parkerharwood Groomer: @iamtracylovee Production Company: @thegeniusclxb Digitech/Photo Assistant: @imcalebshane Lighting Assistant: @alexisidroperez Photo Assistant: @jtsalomon Stylist Assistant: @thetrent_setter Production Coordinator: @kaziahthorn PA: @noahdonnelly_, @syd_gates Production Company: @thegeniusclxb Retoucher: @imcalebshane, @lilmoffet Bookings: Dan Resnick