Award-winning singer and songwriter turned shape-shifting scene stealer, with talent and charisma to burn, Noki is redefining himself as a creative force.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.hommesmalaysia.com/grooming/review-immune-booster-acupuncture-treatment-at-the-spa-four-seasons-kuala-lumpur">Kuala Lumpur</a> holds a special kind of magic for Ahmad Ikhwan, or as the world knows him, Noki &mdash; the unfiltered, <a href="https://www.hommesmalaysia.com/personalities/interview-how-darren-evonne-and-chloe-freshened-up-the-local-fashion-scene">boundary-breaking</a> Sabahan sensation. Thirteen years ago, when the music business left him jaded, Noki landed in the city for Showdown, a local dance competition. There, he helmed Kitta Move, a dance crew that was as versatile as his ambitions. Two years later, driven by raw talent and an almost rebellious optimism, he made waves on Astro&rsquo;s The Band, out singing 32 hopefuls with his powerhouse vocals and fearless creativity to clinch the championship title. At the time, few in the industry believed Malaysia was ready for a man to redefine R&amp;B &mdash; a genre steeped in jazz, folk, and traditional blues, polished with a multicultural flair and rock &rsquo;n&rsquo; roll edge. When Noki packed his bags to head back to Kota Kinabalu, it looked like his music career might be winding down. But that detour was just the prelude. What followed was a major record deal with K-Clique, chart-topping collaborations with Kaka Azraff and Alif, and nods from <a href="https://www.hommesmalaysia.com/arts-culture-and-lifestyle/grammys-2025-see-every-menswear-look-from-the-red-carpet2">heavyweight music awards</a>, including the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2020. These days, Noki&rsquo;s signature swagger, rugged style, and husky voice aren&rsquo;t just his trademarks &mdash; they&rsquo;re a magnet for recognition, making anonymity a luxury he can no longer afford, whether he&rsquo;s in Kuala Lumpur or back home in Kota Kinabalu.

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After years of defying the odds, Noki still catches himself off guard by the heights he&rsquo;s reached. At 31, the singer sat down for an after-shoot interview at what he described as a &ldquo;very hard-to-find studio.&rdquo; Despite the rugged aura &mdash; fierce eyes, a dirtbag trim (2024&rsquo;s hottest hairstyle), and a hint of frustration from a 30-minute misadventure locating the venue &mdash; Noki immediately shattered expectations with his warm, chatty, and professional demeanour. Apologizing for the earlier commotion, he admitted with a self-deprecating laugh, &ldquo;I get that a lot on social media. People say they&rsquo;re afraid to approach me because I look mad all the time. I swear to God, I&rsquo;m not [laughs]. When Noki first emerged as Noki K-Clique, hip-hop wasn&rsquo;t even his genre of choice, let alone his lifeblood. Back in 2020, he was scouted by a Kota Kinabalu-based hip-hop crew called Outlaw Wijaya Brothaz, who saw potential in his electric energy and dynamic voice. Hesitant but optimistic, Noki gave it a shot. However, internal tensions splintered the group, leading to the formation of K-Clique, an eight-member collective (now seven) featuring MK, SoMean, KDeaf, FareedPF, Gnello, NastyNas, Tuju, and Noki himself. &ldquo;When I first joined, I didn&rsquo;t even know how to write my own lines,&rdquo; Noki recalls. &ldquo;My debut in K-Clique had me singing someone else&rsquo;s words &mdash; I was just rapping and vibing along.&rdquo; But the underground origins of K-Clique quickly gave way to mainstream acclaim, with a string of hits like &ldquo;Lane Lain Line,&rdquo; &ldquo;Sah Tu Satu,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Warna&rdquo; catapulting them into Malaysia&rsquo;s music elite.

"Life on the &lsquo;gram isn&rsquo;t always real &mdash; it&rsquo;s part of our job." - Noki

All hail K-Clique, the collective that reshaped Malaysia&rsquo;s hip-hop scene &mdash; a space long overshadowed by the ballad and pop-heavy dominance of the local music industry. But how did they break through in an environment where hip-hop struggled to find its footing? The timing was everything. K-Clique rose just as streaming platforms shattered barriers for local artists, offering the new generation a fresh soundtrack to their lives &mdash; gritty, swaggering, and unapologetically indie-sleaze. Add to that the group&rsquo;s unrelenting grind, and years of perfecting their voices and stage presence, and you&rsquo;ve got a recipe for domination. Though K-Clique thrives as a unit, some members have pursued solo ventures, with Noki making waves early in his journey. In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 lockdowns, he struck gold with &ldquo;Gila&rdquo;, a track about mental resilience and determination during unprecedented times. The song resonated deeply, earning the coveted win at the 35th Anugerah Juara Lagu. &ldquo;Performing it on the final stage was nerve-wracking,&rdquo; Noki admits. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a song with such profound meaning, and I&rsquo;m forever grateful for the chance to perform it alongside Kaka Azraff and Loca B &mdash; two artists I deeply admire.&rdquo;

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That same year, the Kota Kinabalu-born artist decided to flex his creativity in an entirely new direction &mdash; acting. &ldquo;Acting wasn&rsquo;t even on my bingo card,&rdquo; Noki confesses. &ldquo;But I wanted to explore what else I could do with the talents I have. As a celebrity, branching out is crucial &mdash; not just for longevity in the industry, but for personal growth.&rdquo; His acting debut in TV9&rsquo;s &ldquo;Oh My Hantaran&rdquo; was a hit, giving him the confidence to pursue the craft further. He credits much of his determination to fellow K-Clique member MK. &ldquo;That man is crazy, and that&rsquo;s what I love most about him,&rdquo; Noki says with a grin. &ldquo;He opened my eyes to the idea that anything is possible if you believe and put in the work.&rdquo; For Noki, it&rsquo;s not just about the music or the acting &mdash; it&rsquo;s about proving to himself, and others, that the limits are only what you make them.

And work hard Noki did. Just last year, he juggled two major projects &mdash; a film and a drama series &mdash; that showcased his growing versatility as an actor. In &ldquo;Soloz: Game of Life&rdquo;, Noki starred alongside rising talents Hun Haqeem, Ikmal Amry, and Syafie Naswip in a story about fierce e-sports competition, where the lines between friendship, sportsmanship, and ambition blur. On the small screen, he took a darker turn in &ldquo;Sebelum Titik Noktah&rdquo;, a thriller-mystery series featuring an all-star cast, including Aiman Hakim Redza and the &ldquo;queen of tears&rdquo; herself, Puteri Balqis. These roles, alongside some of the industry&rsquo;s biggest names, have not only expanded Noki&rsquo;s acting r&eacute;sum&eacute; but also sharpened his confidence in navigating the entertainment world. &ldquo;After all these years, I feel like I trust myself more now,&rdquo; he reflects. &ldquo;I used to be a bit timid and shy, unsure about my decisions when meeting new people or taking on new experiences. But now, I understand myself and my capabilities better.&rdquo; Despite his chiselled looks, Noki exudes a charm that sets him apart. Maybe it&rsquo;s his tall stature, his warm smile, or the endearing bunny teeth fans can&rsquo;t get enough of &mdash; like one Instagram commenter gushing, &ldquo;Love when you&rsquo;re smiling with your teeth out.&rdquo; Beyond appearances, it&rsquo;s his way of speaking, infused with a distinct Malay-Sabah accent, that makes every story he shares feel magnetic. In addition to his professionalism and self-authenticity, it&rsquo;s easy to see how Noki has carved a place for himself in the industry.

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As his star rises, Noki has also become more guarded about his private life. &ldquo;As time goes on, I share less on social media. Before, I was too accessible,&rdquo; he admits. &ldquo;There are things I can save for myself and enjoy without anyone&rsquo;s opinions.&rdquo; Social media, he notes, often makes him feel like he can&rsquo;t switch off &mdash; a dilemma for someone who thrives on work. &ldquo;When I step back from it, I&rsquo;m more focused on myself, my work, my creativity. And right now, that focus is gold.&rdquo; Like many others, Noki is heading into 2025 with big plans &mdash; and a fresh focus on himself. First on the list? His health. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy to be back in the gym,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;For a while, I felt like I was neglecting my health. It&rsquo;s time to prioritize it again.&rdquo; Beyond fitness, this year will see him back in the studio, working on music with a renewed purpose. &ldquo;I feel like I&rsquo;ve moved past making music that&rsquo;s self-absorbed. I want to create songs that reflect the world we&rsquo;re living in &mdash; songs about facts. Look around us. The world needs help, and music can be a powerful way to bring people together to make a difference,&rdquo; he shares.

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And just when you thought he was done expanding his talents, Noki is plotting his next move: launching a clothing brand. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s in the making,&rdquo; he teases. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll keep you guys posted.&rdquo; As our conversation wraps up, I ask if there&rsquo;s a question he&rsquo;d like to pose to himself. He pauses, thinking carefully, before saying, &ldquo;Do you feel happy doing what you&rsquo;re doing now?&rdquo; His answer is candid. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy and blessed with every opportunity to live and work as an entertainer. But sometimes, I wish the public could lower their expectations of celebrities,&rdquo; he confesses. &ldquo;Life on the &lsquo;gram isn&rsquo;t always real &mdash; it&rsquo;s part of our job. That&rsquo;s how we generate income to survive. Beyond that, we&rsquo;re still human, just like everyone else.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s this honesty, mixed with his unrelenting drive, that keeps Noki grounded &mdash; and makes him one of Malaysia&rsquo;s most relatable stars.

CREDITS: Creative Direction &amp; Words Syazil Abd Rahim Photography Cham Zihao Grooming &amp; Hair Joey Yap Photography Assistant Saiful Azwan

Interview: This is how Noki does it

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