2011-04 - GQ Magazine - Mission to Mars

Mission to Mars
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Bruno Mars has just grabbed his first Grammy, scored four hit singles, and penned Cee Lo's kiss-off sensation, "F#%* You." Here the Hawaiian pop prodigy—and lid-lover—shows you six ways to work that fedora
By Andrew Richdale
Photographs by Paola Kudacki
avril 2011
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It's one of the tritest battle cries a modern musician can utter: "I keep it real!" That's pop whiz Bruno Mars—real name Peter Gene Hernandez—speaking, and boy, it gets worse. "The last few months," he says, "it's been a rocket…to Mars!" Zing! But before you write off his enthusiasm as rookie bluster, consider the 25-year-old Hawaiian's life before 2011. Here's a guy who impersonated Elvis professionally at age 3; a guy who fronted a lounge band called Sex Panther. He's built his career on earnest cheeseballery, and he ain't stopping it now. In the past nine months—on the strength of the saccharine lyric You're amazing just the way you are—Mars has scored triple-platinum sales, landed seven Grammy nominations, and for fun authored the hook from Cee Lo's "Fuck You." As he says, he's just keepin' it real. Though maybe a little too real. In September, Mars was busted for cocaine possession at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Vegas. "I'm not gonna preach that I'm a role model," he says. "I'm a fucking musician! But I've learned people are watching, so don't do nothing stupid." He's just hoping to keep his nose clean (so to speak), acknowledging that there's no backup plan. "My jump shot sucks," he says.